HENRY

Cabinet has approved $300 million to begin repairs on roads that have been damaged during flood rains earlier this month.

Minister of Transport and Works, Mike Henry, while addressing the post-Cabinet press briefing recently, said preliminary estimates for the damage of the road network has been put at $631 million.

He said Cabinet is yet to receive the final estimates of the damage of the recent rains for this month.

"The aim of the ministry is to try to get as much of the major roads that have been damaged in some driveable (conditions) by filling the potholes," he said.

Repairs under way

Meanwhile, the minister said repairs had already commenced over the weekend and that the Government was expected to release the second tranche to carry out the work.

In the meantime, he said the ministry should this week receive funds for the damage caused from Hurricane Dean.

Addressing the damage done in St. Thomas, he said some $25 million has been approved for work to start in Roselle today.

Other areas that will be addressed, he said, include the Mother White Gully, which runs across Spanish Town Road and Marcus Garvey Drive and into the Kingston Harbour. He said $40 million would be allocated for the Palisadoes strip and $170 million to clean and clear roads affected by Hurricane Dean.