Four years late but....give thanks it is finally open

[Mosiah]

You really need to start drinking!

[Mosiah]

Mt. Rousseau?!? Where the hell is that?!?!

Trucks will still take the mountain route, I'm thinking, because they will complain about the cost of the toll.

[Tilla]

You really need to start drinking!

Your solution to every problem of course.

[Mosiah]

Skippy!

[Islandman]

Mike Henry says credit due to JLP is not being given.

Henry: JLP agreement with CHEC saved North-South link
Thursday, August 07, 2014

FORMER minister of transport and works, Mike Henry, stayed away from Tuesday's official opening of the second leg (Mount Rosser bypass) of the North-South Highway link to highlight the lack of credit given to the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) for making it possible.
"All of this was tied to the economics of the multi-modal plan," Henry told the Jamaica Observer, recalling the transportation programme he promoted during the JLP's 2010/11 administration.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/mobil...-link_17306967

[Islandman]

Hmm, an ongoing internal struggle perhaps?

[Mosiah]

Mike is an @$*! A multi-modal one at that!

Why does he think he deserves special mention for any of this?!?!?

[Tilla]

Because it was "Built by Labour".

[Peter R]

Would they save on gas by driving on the new road? and offset the cost of the toll? Something they should think about.

[Tilla]

They would most definately save on gas big time to make the use of the highway worthwhile. I think government will have to educate them though.

The fact is, the internal combustion engine's fuel efficiency is greatest at certain speeds when you are in high gear. You are not going to achieve those speeds going round those corners and driving up steep inclines where you are having to use lower gear ratios.

[Willi]

Portmore Toll road to KGN. The alternative is Mandela Highway.

Span Bypass is something else and I only saw it in March for the first time. It drops out near Angels.

[Willi]

They should be banned from the Mountain road (the cost to high to maintain those monsters on the free mountain road). Big source for revenue from violators...

[Willi]

Because he fought to ressurect it. Bruce dem did want to scrap it.

Mike may be an ass, but he is correct on this one. Correct on the multi-modal too.

He is only silly in making it a political football, due to internal wranglings as I-man pointed out.

[Tilla]

I think with time, common sense will prevail. People will come to realize that although they pay toll on the new highway, they will spend more time and burn more gas on the old route. They will fall in line without the need to mandate the use of the new road.

I have to remind myself that this is Jamaica we are talking about. A country where you buy a new car off a lot, drive for a few years, then sell it for more than you originally paid for it.

[Islandman]

Not to mention the wear and tear on brakes, etc and the stress factor of being stuck behind a truck for miles and being tempted to put your life on the line just to get past it.

If when fully opened, if this highway really cuts down the Ochi-KGN drive to an hour or so that really opens up a number of possibilities. From the option of working people living further out from the city, to the tour bus that can make a comfortable trip to KGN and back in a day with a lot fo time to spare, to commercial ventures around this new road that were not possible on the mountain road.