Palisadoes Highway

I have some very serious concerns about this proposed project, which will see the creation of a 4 lane highway along the Palisadoes tombolo. Architect Clifton Yap, in his Letter of the Day on April 27, raised some excellent points, especially about whether traffic studies have been done to justify this expense (when last has there been a traffic jam heading to and from the airport??). But I wish to raise 2 points from a distinctly scientific perspective.

The first is environmental. The Palisadoes is a RAMSAR protected area, with extensive mangrove coverage stretching from the vicinity of the Royal Jamaica Yacht Club to Port Royal. The implication of construction and the lasting impact of an over-engineered stretch of road will be permanent.

The second is related to natural processes and hazard mitigation. We already know that the rock revetment work already underway is redundant, and would do nothing if we ever get whacked by a Category 3+ storm (those rocks will fly like missiles!). Yet we proceeded with their construction. And now we’re going to bundle all of this with this new super highway. Okay, get this: there is nothing a new super highway that can resist storms etc can do to withstand an earthquake. The Palisadoes suffered greatly in 1907 – Giddy House anyone? And the area around where the Donald Quarrie High School is now experienced sand volcanoes and liquefaction. So let’s not fool ourselves that this will be the lifeline to the airport in the event of a hazard impact.

I believe that if we were to focus and develop proper rock revetment works to withstand major hurricanes, as well as focus on proper macro-scale natural processes of shoreline protection – illegal sand mining has a serious effect on beach replenishment along the Palisadoes – we would achieve the same effect of shoreline protections etc. But this over-engineering plan will have some serious effects on both the environmental health of the area’s fragile mangrove ecosystems, as well as is an expensive (and myopic) attempt at shoreline protection.

So if the objective is to make a bigger, better road that will create jobs etc, say that!