Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, on Wednesday (August 26) officially opened approximately 1.6 kilometres of rehabilitated roadway between Robins Bay and Strawberry Fields, a J$42.7 million investment delivered through the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) under its Roads to Attractions Programme.
The works, executed by Wadmar Construction Limited, included site clearance, earthworks, drainage cleaning, drainage construction and asphaltic concrete works.
"The value of this project is not measured only in metres of asphalt or millions of dollars," Minister Bartlett told the ribbon-cutting ceremony. "It is measured in what the rehabilitated road makes possible: easier movement for residents, improved access for visitors, and a stronger connection between community enterprise and national growth."
He placed the roadway within a deliberate strategy to widen Jamaica's tourism footprint beyond its traditional corridors, noting that it follows the recently opened J$27.5 million Fontabelle to Geddes Town Road in the same parish.
"What we are doing now, deliberately and in sequence, is extending that corridor eastward, through St. Mary and on toward Portland, so that the strength of Ocho Rios becomes the gateway to a much wider tourism footprint rather than its outer boundary," he said.
Executive Director of the TEF, Dr. Carey Wallace, said the Fund saw significant room for growth in the area, particularly in community tourism.
"We see the vast potential in this area for tourism, community tourism in particular, and therefore we feel this is our investment in the community," Dr. Wallace said, anticipating "that partnership, two hands clapping, as we grow the community of Robin's Bay into an outstanding addition to the gems that Jamaica offers as a tourism destination."
Deputy Mayor of Port Maria, Councillor Paul Fyffe, said the road had been a long-standing concern for residents. "This road improvement has enhanced the lives and the livelihoods of many in this area," he said, noting that citizens had for years pressed their Member of Parliament and Councillor for works, saying the condition of the road was hampering the progress of their businesses.
Minister Bartlett drew particular attention to the drainage component, calling it the least visible and most important part of the project. "Under Tourism 3.0, climate-resilient infrastructure is a stated national priority, because we have learnt at great cost that a road which cannot survive the rain is not an investment but a recurring expense," he said. "What we have built here is designed to hold."
He said established operations such as Strawberry Fields Together stand to benefit directly from improved access, as do the guides, cooks, drivers and craft producers who work alongside them, but cautioned that the government could go only so far.
"It is not the big investment that the visitor consumes; it is the little things that you do in your own areas," he said. "The government can deliver the road; the community delivers the experience."
"This road is not only for tourism," he added. "It serves residents travelling to work, children going to school, farmers moving produce, and families travelling between communities."