Remembering Our History: Jamaica's First Causeway

The Story of how the Portmore Causeway became a Toll Road

It should be interesting to know that Jamaica’s first causeway, initially called the Cross-Harbour Causeway, was a combination of dredging and infilling. The industrious Mr. Moses Matalan is credited for approaching the authorities with the idea of this causeway.
In 1967 an estimated one million one hundred fifty pounds, was invested in the Portmore Land Development, the same year that the causeway construction went underway. As it progressed, it rose out of the waters of the Kingston Harbour, from Newport West in Kingston over to the Port Henderson strip in St. Catherine. The Jamaican government along with the Commonwealth Development Corporation covered the cost of the causeway.
A tour of the causeway by Minister Edward Seaga, Sir William Rendell, among others on January 21, 1970 signaled its opening. However, the bridge was closed for repairs on November 23, 1990 as it was impacted by Hurricane Gilbert. 70% of this repair cost was covered by The World Bank, while the Bank of Jamaica provided 10.2 million JMD.
To reduce the inconvenience met by residents the Ferry service was put into place on January 21, 1991. The ferry route ran the southeast side of the causeway bridge to the Kingston Pier, adjacent the Victoria Craft Market. Additional passenger trains with extra carriages were also put in place to transport residents between Kingston and Gregory Park.
Unfortunately, both the Ferry service and the passenger trains were terminated when the causeway reopened in April 1991.
A new highway running northward towards the Mandela Highway was constructed by the developers of Greater Portmore due to more persons purchasing vehicles, resulting in an increase in traffic. However, this did not alleviate the traffic issue but later gave way to the one-way system that was put in place in 1995, to ease the tension and delays during peak hours, but that too was short lived.

It was not long after that the Government of Jamaica, in an effort to upgrade the country’s infrastructure, provide economic opportunities for growth and create jobs, decided that the Highway 2000 construction was a good idea.

The Highway 2000 project was created at a total cost of 1.3 billion US dollars, resulting in it being the largest project in Jamaica to date. This new six-lane bridge stretches 6.4Km in length and runs between Kingston and Portmore serving as an alternate route to the Mandela Highway.

Objection to the Portmore leg of Highway 2000 came about due to various oppositions and conflict of interests, which entailed land sale and the proposed introductory rate of a $65 JMD toll fee prior to its opening on July 13, 2006.

According to the Toll Road Act of 2001 the setting of toll rates is the responsibility of the developer and is subject to the approval of the Minister and the Toll Regulator. The Act states that in designating a Toll Road, the Minister must also designate an alternate route in the same area.
Various lawsuits were filed by residents of the Portmore Municipality against the Government, as they had to pay to use the causeway, and they were displeased with using the alternate route. The distance was considered long which increased gas usage and wear and tear on vehicles.
The outcome of the ruling was not in the Portmore residents’ favour, and the Portmore causeway was deemed a toll road with Mandela Highway was the alternative route.
Presently, the Portmore toll process daily traffic of about 30,000 to 40,000 vehicles.