Prime Minister Bruce Golding (centre) tours the sections of the North coast Highway that pass through Oracabessa in St Mary. Golding is flanked by Robert Montague, state minister with responsibility for local government in the Office of the Prime Minister, (left) and a construction worker. - Photo by Nedburn Thaffe

ANNOTTO BAY, St Mary:

Prime Minister Bruce Golding said contractors carrying out work on segment three of the North coast highway should move speedily or the government could lose out on grants from the European Union.

Golding added that he would be speaking with the Minister of Transport and Works, Mike Henry, so as to get contractors to do whatever is necessary to have the work completed.

"If it means that they will have to hire more men so be it, but we are not prepared to lose that funding," said the prime minister.

He made the comments following a tour of a section of the north coast highway in, Oracabessa, St Mary, on Friday.

The tour lasted for approximately four hours and saw the prime minister touring sections of Boscobel Aerodrome, a section of a squatter community in Boscobel, and the Cliffpat Private Hospital in Pompano Bay, on the western end of the parish.

Golding was accompanied by, State Minister in charge of local government, Robert Montague, along with Health Minister, Rudyard Spencer.

While on tour Golding told journalists the Government would also be upgrading the Aerodrome for it to be used as an international port of entry for private jets coming into the island.

He said, however, that in order to accommodate jets, the strip would have to be extended another 5,500 ft.

Challenges

He said the development would fall in with plans for tourism in the area. Golding did not comment on when work was expected to start but said that development would pose some challenges as a number of factors would have to be taken into consideration.

There are also proposals to transform the Cliffpat Hospital into an eye care hospital. The prime minister said although he could not make a definite announcement he would be asking that a report of the area be drafted.

It is believed that a private businessman who resided in the parish constructed the hospital approximately 15 years ago. Upon completion some four years later it was painted and equipped with medical machinery before the owner fell ill. It has never been used.

It is estimated to be over fifteen thousand square feet and currently houses an X-ray department, maternity ward, nurse's station, a dental clinic among other compartments.