Spring Mount Road Decision Could Put St James Properties in the Path of a New Route

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica — The Government is considering whether to rebuild the damaged Spring Mount main road in St James or establish an alternative route, with possible implications for privately owned land and homes.

Works Minister Robert Morgan told a stakeholders’ meeting in Montego Bay on Tuesday, November 10, that the unstable hillside poses a serious challenge to restoring the road. According to a November 12 report in The Gleaner, the minister warned that rebuilding the affected section could result in another failure within several years.

The route has been disrupted since Hurricane Melissa damaged a section of the roadway in 2025. Communities including Spring Mount and Maldon have faced extended journeys, higher transport expenses and reduced convenience for workers, students and businesses travelling to and from Montego Bay.

Three options, no final alignment

Officials are assessing three approaches, including an alternative road alignment that could involve acquiring private land or residential property. No final option has been selected, and no confirmed acquisition schedule, parcel list or compensation arrangements have been announced in the information reviewed.

One possible diversion would take motorists through Montego Bay, Anchovy and Roehampton before reaching Maldon and surrounding districts. That would preserve access but could lengthen everyday journeys compared with the former direct connection.

Morgan also referred to approximately J$200 million under consideration in connection with the breakaway. The precise works covered by that figure have not been established, and it should not be treated as an approved construction contract.

What homeowners should watch

A new alignment could alter access to individual properties and affect land required for road construction. Residents should await an official route plan before drawing conclusions about whether any particular holding may be affected. Property owners should also distinguish an early engineering option from a formal acquisition decision.

The National Works Agency has previously examined the geological conditions, according to the report. Morgan indicated that further consultation with Prime Minister Andrew Holness would be needed before the Government chooses its preferred response.

For communities already coping with long detours, the unresolved question is both an infrastructure decision and a household cost issue: when will a safe, dependable connection be restored, and what land might be needed to achieve it?

Source: The Gleaner, November 12, 2026, reporting remarks by Works Minister Robert Morgan at a November 10 stakeholders’ meeting. Featured image: Montego Bay Perimeter Road construction, a separate St James infrastructure project. JIS file photograph; it does not depict the Spring Mount breakaway.