Hon. Robert Nesta Morgan, Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development, has offered that the One Road Authority, can transform Jamaica’s infrastructure future.

A unified body that will regulate, manage and maintain public roads across the island, this proposal seeks to eliminate decades of confusion, duplication and inconsistent standards that have long affected citizens and contractors alike.

The proposal was outlined today (November 25, 2025), by Minister Morgan, during his address at a seminar hosted by the Incorporated Masterbuilders Association of Jamaica (IMAJ), at the Jamaica Conference Centre.

“Jamaicans don’t care who owns the road, they just want the road fixed,” Minister Morgan  said. “This proposal is not about taking power from local entities.  It is about empowering citizens by giving them a system that is clear, responsive and accountable.”

Minister Morgan noted that Jamaica has approximately 27,000 kilometers of roads, but only 5,000 kilometers fall under the direct responsibility of the  National Works Agency (NWA).   The remaining 22,000 kilometers are divided among Municipal Corporations, the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA),  private developers, and in many cases,  what he called “orphaned roads”, which are roads that belong to no specific authority.

This fragmentation, he explained,  results in inconsistent standards, unclear lines of responsibility, and chronic delays in maintenance.

“It cannot be that one contractor in St. Thomas fixes a road to one standard  and another contractor in St Mary fixes a similar road to a completely different standard”, he said.  “To streamline planning and maintenance we must first know exactly how many roads we have, and the condition and history of each one”.

The proposed One Road Authority would:

• Create a single regulatory framework to govern all roads — farm roads, municipal roads, main roads, and orphaned roads.
• Establish uniform construction and maintenance standards, ensuring consistent quality across parishes and contractors.
• Improve planning through accurate road mapping, using GIS and other methods to track road age, construction method and expected lifespan.
• Eliminate duplication and accelerate project delivery, enabling better budgeting, scheduling and maintenance planning.

Minister Morgan highlighted lessons from the SPARK (Shared Prosperity through Accelerated Improvement to our Road Network) Programme, which requires that each SPARK road must last at least 10 years.

“That allows us to plan and budget properly”, he noted.  “If we know a road will need milling and paving in six years, we can schedule it.  But we cannot do that now, because in many cases, there is no reliable record of when a road was last repaired or what materials were used”.

Next Steps: National Consultation
Minister Morgan emphasised that the One Road Authority initiative is currently in the consultation phase. Discussions will be held with the Masterbuilders Association, municipal corporations and other key stakeholders, to ensure the final framework is collaborative, practical and nationally supported.   He stressed that above all, the initiative is designed to improve the everyday lives of Jamaicans.

“At its core, the One Road Authority is about solving a simple problem…ensuring that every Jamaican can travel to work, school or home, on a safe, reliable road, no  matter who built it, who owns it, or who is supposed to fix it”, he said.