Minister with responsibility for Works, Robert Nesta Morgan, today issued an update on the Shared Prosperity through Accelerated Improvement to our Road Network (SPARK) Programme, highlighting substantial progress on fire hydrant replacement and installation as part of the programme’s broader water infrastructure works.

A total of 138 of 225 fire hydrants scheduled under SPARK have been installed to date. The work forms part of a coordinated effort to upgrade underground utilities at the same time roads are being rebuilt, so that new surfaces are not later excavated to correct ageing water infrastructure. Installation by package is as follows: 

• Package 1 (St. Andrew, Kingston and St. Thomas): 33 of 59 
• Package 2 (Clarendon and St. Catherine): 91 of 138 
• Package 3 (Hanover, Westmoreland, St. Elizabeth and Manchester): 5 of 13 
• Package 4 (St. James, Trelawny, St. Ann, St. Mary and Portland): 9 of 15

“SPARK is more than a road rehabilitation project, and it is not the usual patching programme,” Minister Morgan said. “For too long, Jamaica has paid the price of short-term fixes that look finished until the next rainy season or the next burst pipe. SPARK is a capital investment in roads that last. That means stronger pavement, better drainage, and the utility work that must be done before the asphalt goes down.

”The Minister noted that SPARK includes dedicated funding for water infrastructure upgrades, including the replacement and installation of fire hydrants. These works are being executed in tandem with road reconstruction so that communities receive both improved mobility and more reliable firefighting and water-service capacity. “A SPARK road is designed to serve communities for years, not months,” Minister Morgan said.

“We will not knowingly pave over failing lines and then return to dig up a new road. Installing and restoring fire hydrants is part of that standard. It is infrastructure that protects lives and property, and it belongs in a serious national programme.”

SPARK, valued at approximately $45 billion including some $5 billion for water-related works, is organised across four geographic packages and covers community and main roads. The programme applies modern engineering standards, independent inspection before handover, and a defects liability period intended to protect the public investment.

Minister Morgan said remaining hydrant installations will continue as road works advance in each package, and that communities can expect further updates as additional units are commissioned.

“The work is visible on the ground,” he said. “Roads are being rebuilt from the ground up. Water infrastructure is being upgraded. Fire hydrants are being restored and installed. That is the difference between patching a problem and solving it.”