NewzSPURRED into action by the warning from Hurricane Melissa which lashed sections of the island last year, the Cabinet has approved a US$56-million ($8.9 billion) coastal protection system for Palisadoes main road in Kingston which leads to Norman Manley International Airport and Port Royal. The Category 5 storm, which hit Jamaica on October 28, 2025, reached wind speed of up to 190 miles per hour and devastated sections of the island’s southand north-western coasts, leaving several communities inaccessible. With the pain from Melissa still fresh in Jamaicans’ minds, Minister of Energy, Telecommunications and Transport Daryl Vaz on Wednesday told a post-Cabinet media briefing that the Government is moving to provide even more protection for Palisadoes, the narrow approximately 14.2-kilometre strip of land that serves as a protective barrier for Kingston Harbour.
“The Government is advancing efforts to strengthen coastal protection along the Palisadoes Peninsula and Port Royal, safeguarding the Norman Manley International Airport, the main road that links from Harbour View to Port Royal, and surrounding communities against coastal erosion and storm surges,” Vaz said. “The initiative represents a coordinated effort to protect critical transportation infrastructure, preserve access to Port Royal, and strengthen Jamaica’s resilience to coastal hazards. So this is a far-reaching project that is going to once and for all protect the airport and access all the way to Port Royal,” added Vaz.
“We started back in 2007 when we did all of those boulders on the stretch. As a result of Melissa and realising that, had Melissa come closer to Kingston, the access to the airport and, of course all the way to Port Royal, would be non-existent... and seeing the work that has been done and what needs to be done, the Government has completed a comprehensive shoreline protection project [study] covering approximately 14.2 kilometres,” added Vaz.
He explained that proposed works will include strengthening revetments, rehabilitating dunes a…
Summary from source