Prime Minister Andrew Holness announced the change late Monday evening, less than 48 hours after Opposition Leader Mark Golding chided the Government for neglecting and disrespecting the people of St Thomas.

According to Golding, the state of the road in the parish is also a disgrace as there has been mismanagement and incompetence in the work that has been taking place for some time.

In a late-evening release on Monday the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) made no comment on the criticisms from Golding as it said the decision to have Hunter assume direct supervision was in response to the most recent delays caused by broken water mains on a section of the road, rendering it near impassable for several hours.

OPM said, acknowledging and apologising for the inconvenience caused, Hunter told the prime minister that the broken water mains have been repaired and the section of road made accessible once again.

According to Hunter, two breaks occurred overnight on existing water mains which scoured the road surface.

He said the contractors and the National Water Commission (NWC) would not have been on site to immediately repair the breaks at the time they occurred.

“As soon as the matter came to our attention the contractor and the NWC were mobilised and repairs effected. To prevent further occurrences of such water main breaks, the NWA will conduct inspections along the roadway to detect signs of leak,” said Hunter.

He said up to Monday 14.1 km of the 17.4-km section of the road from Harbour View, St Andrew, to Yallahs, St Thomas — which was affected by the water main breaks — had been asphalted, with full completion expected by August 23.

Hunter stressed the complexity of managing the road upgrade alongside existing traffic, involving the installation of pipes, fibre-optic cables, sewerage, and other utilities while ensuring the functionality of current infrastructure.

Upon receiving the report from Hunter the prime minister reportedly directed the contractor, China Harbour Engineering, to increase its resources and expedite the project’s completion.

Holness also underscored that Hunter will provide direct oversight to ensure the contractor meets the designated targets.

“No other Administration has undertaken the level of work we have. We have made substantial investments in the parishes of St Thomas and Portland, which will bring comprehensive benefits to the residents. Improved road infrastructure, enhanced water supply, electricity, bandwidth, and sewerage will transform their lives,” said Holness.