Major Redevelopment Slated for the Town of Annotto Bay St. Mary
Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness has outlined a comprehensive redevelopment plan for Annotto Bay in St. Mary that will transform the coastal town into a more modern, accessible, and climate-resilient urban centre.
The announcement was made on Friday, May 16, 2025, at the Handing Over Ceremony for the Annotto Bay Coastal Protection Project in the parish.
The Prime Minister detailed the government’s commitment to addressing longstanding infrastructure and planning issues in Annotto Bay and similar townships across Jamaica. With most towns developed historically around ports, now facing the impacts of climate change, Dr. Holness emphasized that a shift in development strategy is necessary.
The Prime Minister stated: “We are going to be smart in our physical development planning, and we are going to create another road, another main road that will take the traffic that is not intended for the town to their ultimate destination so that this town can grow and develop. But we are also going to identify additional lands where the town can expand into. This space once it is freed up, we intend to develop it for the purposes of recreation and leisure.”
The government is slated to construct of a bypass road which will significantly reduce congestion in the town centre, where currently up to 70 percent of vehicular traffic passes through without stopping.
This congestion impedes economic activity and affects the quality of life for residents.
The Prime Minister further explained that the redevelopment plan will allow Annotto Bay to grow organically with modern amenities.
New purpose-built urban spaces will accommodate markets, designated transport hubs, and green areas, freeing the narrow seaside corridor for recreational and tourism potential.
“If it is one thing that I am committed to do as your Prime Minister, coming from the post-independence era, is not to leave things as we have inherited them or as we have seen them. We must make it better,” said Prime Minster Holness.
Furthermore, Dr. Holness stressed the importance of building infrastructure away from vulnerable coastal zones and highlighted the government’s strategic push to develop inland roads at higher elevations.
These efforts, Dr. Holness said, are part of a national vision to mitigate the risks of climate change and ensure long-term urban resilience.
“So if you look at most of the roads that we are doing and the developments that we are doing, you will begin to see that we are creating an infrastructure of highways that are built inland on higher ground to high standards. So that means that eventually you will always be able to go anywhere in Jamaica on our highway system. That’s number one.”
In the meantime, the Prime Minister urged Jamaicans to take a more optimistic view of national progress and to recognize the meaningful strides being made.
Annotto Bay’s redevelopment is a central pillar of Jamaica’s urban modernization agenda, and the government’s actions signal a strong commitment to sustainable growth, community well-being, and long-term national development.