Shop owners worried highway will hurt businesses

While some are eagerly anticipating for the completion of the Southern Coastal Highway, a few business operators situated along the Eight Miles stretch in Bull Bay, St Andrew, are worried.

They told THE STAR last Friday that they believe their businesses will suffer as they have already been told that they may be relocated.

Constantine Thompson, who has been operating a tyre shop in the vicinity since 2008, said the new move will see his only source of income being demolished.

"Me nuh have another trade to make a dollar so me nuh know how me ago manage, plus me have me three pickney to feed and nobody nah give me nothing," he told THE STAR. "Even if them decide to push me further back, everybody ago drive pass me. Them nah go be interested to go out a them way fi stop."

"It ago also be more expense pon me again to fix up another spot so anywhere me take it, a stress," he added

A sum of $17.4 billion has been allotted for the construction of the highway. The Southern Coastal Highway Improvement Project (SCHIP) is expected to make the existing coastal roadway safer and more efficient, by upgrading existing drainage features, installing shoulders in rural areas and kerbs, gutters and sidewalks.

The segment from Harbour View to Albion and the Yallahs Bridge, which passes through Bull Bay, is 10 per cent complete.

With such a seemingly long way to go for completion, Roan Williams, who has operated a cookshop in the area for 10 years, is not sure when he will have to say goodbye to his business. But concern remains.

Me stress out

"Them nuh tell me when me have to move yet but to how me a hear say the place ago take over, me wonder if me ago get a space or them just ago want me fi leave," he said. "Me stress out because me nah lie, me nuh know what ago reach me right now. Business really go good for me out here on the streets because a lot of people stop to support me. Them like the food but them might nuh see me back out here when a time fi move."

The SCHIP, which started in 2017, is set to be completed in March 2022. As for Jennifer Raphael, a 54-year-old grocery shop owner, she believes she will have no choice but to retire to her home when the time comes.

"To locate somewhere else is not going to work for me so me have to just pack up and go home, and to make it worse, nobody is going to employ me at my age. The only solution is maybe to do business at the house and that wouldn't make sense because nobody who is driving by is not going to come up there; it's out of reach," she said.