THE Government is expected to make a major announcement today on plans to ease the suffering of road users who daily face the potholes which pockmark the island’s roads.

The National Works Agency (NWA) — which is the implementing agency for the road repairs — has argued that persistent rainfall in recent weeks has had a considerable impact on road maintenance and repair efforts across the island.

While pointing out that the Government has allocated significant financial resources for road maintenance and repairs, including the $3-billion Relief Emergency Assistance and Community Help (REACH) Programme, the recently launched $1.5-billion constituency-based Maintenance and Clean-up Programme, and the $45-billion Shared Prosperity Through Accelerated Improvement to Our Road Network (SPARK) Project, the NWA said, “The ongoing heavy rainfall islandwide has presented unique challenges, delaying the timely completion of these efforts.

“The rains have not only hindered essential maintenance work but have also disrupted the production of materials needed for repairs. Asphalt manufacturers, in particular, are facing difficulties, as raw materials are exposed to the elements, which can compromise the quality of the final product if not given adequate time to dry. This is especially critical as the materials used in road projects are highly sensitive to temperature and moisture conditions,” the NWA explained.

But despite the NWA’s explanation, the Jamaica Observer today launches ‘Pothole Patrol’, which, over the next two weeks, will highlight some of the dangers on the nation’s roads posed by these craters.

You can send pictures of potholes in your community to editorial@jamaicaobserver.com

Motorists avoiding the potholes on Passage Fort Drive in Portmore, St Catherine. (Garfield Robinson)

No option but to drive on the wrong side of Passage Fort Drive in Portmore, St Catherine, to avoid these craters. Garfield Robinson

A motorist takes a break from changing his tyre after it punctured when his car fell into one of the many new potholes on Weymouth Drive in Washington Gardens, St Andrew. (LLewellyn Wynter)