Gov’t Unveils Major Road Repair Plan for 2026 – 500 Miles to Get Fix

KINGSTON, Jamaica – So, the Government of Jamaica finally dropped the news we’ve all been waiting for. On Monday, they announced a massive road repair plan set to kick off in early 2026—and we're talking over 500 miles of parochial and main roads across every single parish. The price tag? J$12 billion. That’s coming from the Road Maintenance Fund and a new infrastructure bond.

Minister of Transport and Works, Audley Shaw, made the announcement at a press conference at the Ministry’s headquarters on Maxfield Avenue. And he didn't mince words. “We know that bad roads have been a headache for far too long. From St. Thomas to Westmoreland, people are tired of dodging potholes and paying for damaged tires. Come 2026, we are going to start making things right,” Shaw said.

Now, here’s the real kicker: the plan puts rural communities and agricultural routes front and center. We’re talking about areas that have been neglected for years. The first roads on the list include the Junction to Port Antonio stretch in Portland, the Santa Cruz to Black River corridor in St. Elizabeth, and the main road through Trelawny’s Martha Brae district. Work’s supposed to start in February 2026 and run for 18 months.

People on the ground are cautiously happy about it. I spoke to 58-year-old farmer Michael Gordon from St. Mary, and he told me, “Mi hear plenty talk before, but this time mi hope dem stick to it. The road from my district to the market is like a river when it rain. Mi lose two tire and a rim last month alone.” You can feel the frustration, right?

But here’s something new: the Ministry says they’re launching a pothole-reporting app called “RoadFix JA.” You’ll be able to snap a photo of a damaged road and send it straight to the National Works Agency (NWA). It’s coming to Android and iOS by December 2025. So, keep your phone ready.

And get this—the government also plans to hire 200 temporary workers from local communities to help with basic road maintenance. That means jobs for people while we speed up the repairs. Shaw also mentioned that a chunk of the budget is set aside for drainage improvements. You know, so the new roads don’t just wash away the next time we get a heavy rain.

Of course, you can’t have a big announcement like this without some pushback. Critics are already calling it an election gimmick—especially since the next general election is just around the corner. Opposition Spokesperson on Transport, Mikael Phillips, said, “This is a clear election gimmick. Why wait until 2026 when roads are in crisis now? The government has had years to fix this.”

But Shaw fired back, insisting the project is fully funded and not a political stunt. “We have the money secured and the contracts will be awarded transparently. This is about delivering for the Jamaican people, not about politics,” he said.

What this means for you: If you live in a rural area or regularly travel on parochial roads, expect major improvements starting early 2026. Download the RoadFix JA app by December 2025 to report issues. Keep an eye on your local Member of Parliament’s town hall meetings for updates on which roads in your district will be repaired first.

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