Cabinet has approved the policy framework for the establishment of the One Road Authority (ORA) as an executive agency under the Works portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development (MEGID).

According to Minister with responsibility for Works in MEGID, Hon. Robert Morgan, Cabinet approval for the ORA policy framework was granted last week. Minister Morgan, who was speaking at a Post-Cabinet Briefing on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, explained that the establishment of ORA represents a major governance reform aimed at improving road outcomes across the island through consistent, clear, and accountable standards.

The Minister outlined that one of the primary reasons for the creation of the One Road Authority is the longstanding fragmentation among entities responsible for managing Jamaica’s road network, which has resulted in uneven road quality due to varying standards and quality assurance processes over the years.

He added that the core mandate of ORA is to regulate standards and performance for all roads, while directly implementing works on national main roads.

“In practical terms, ORA will achieve four objectives that we believe the country needs, firstly, it will enforce a single standard for road works across the island ensuring quality is consistent and roads are durable across the country,” he said.

The Minister also noted that ORA will strengthen quality assurance and compliance monitoring to ensure contractors and executing entities are held accountable for meeting required road standards. The Authority will further introduce stronger performance reporting to improve public transparency in delivery standards. For national main roads, ORA will bring greater discipline to planning, procurement, contract management, and maintenance programming.

Minister Morgan emphasized that these measures will help Jamaica move away from the cycle of repeated emergency road patching each year and toward a structured, long-term national programme for road maintenance and rehabilitation.