Why technical oversight is crucial in engineering works

The recent media interviews with Robert Nesta Morgan, and with panels of engineering and other experts, highlight the urgent need for better oversight, accountability, and quality assurance in road construction and maintenance.

Experts, policymakers, and the public engaged in a much-needed discussion on why our roads continue to fail, despite billions of dollars in government spending. The insights shared by economists, taxi operators, planners, engineers and professionals in the field have reinforced what many Jamaicans experience daily: our roads are in crisis, and, without urgent and guided intervention, the cycle of waste and poor quality will continue.

LACK OF INDEPENDENT TECHNICAL OVERSIGHT

It is particularly concerning that Minister of Works Robert Morgan, in his recent CVM TV interview, admitted that the supervision of roadwork under both the REACH and SPARK programmes has not been adequate. While the minister sought to assure the public that efforts are being made to improve oversight, his own words confirm what many engineers and road users have long suspected: that billions of taxpayers’ dollars are being spent without proper independent engineering scrutiny.

We believe that the government’s continued reliance on the stretched and limited internal resources of the National Works Agency to provide oversight mechanisms rather than independent third-party engineers has been a significant factor that has resulted in subpar road construction, premature failures, and repeated repairs to the same problem areas. This is an uneconomical, unsustainable and unacceptable approach to national infrastructure development.

IMPORTANCE OF INDEPENDENT TECHNICAL OVERSIGHT

To prevent the wastage of public funds and ensure the safety and welfare of all Jamaicans, it is essential that independent technical oversight become a mandatory component of all major infrastructural projects (roads being one such area), for several critical reasons:

1. Monetary accountability and preventing waste: Professional engineering oversight ensures taxpayers get full value for every dollar spent on road infrastructure. Without independent supervision, inferior materials are used, leading to quick road failures and repeated spending on the same repairs. Unscrupulous contractors may cut corners to maximise profit at the expense of quality. The cost of vehicle repairs for ordinary Jamaicans skyrockets as poorly built roads damage tyres, suspensions, and vehicle frames. Professional accountability and involvement ensure a much higher level of accountability that self-auditing and certification cannot provide.

2. Improved public safety by preventing accidents and loss of life: Poorly constructed roads are hazardous to motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians. Road aggregates are widely varied, and sub-par asphaltic concrete can be slippery in rainy conditions and unravel quickly, after construction. This will pose increased hazards to motorists. Roads that develop potholes shortly after repair pose a danger to all road users, and dilapidated road conditions result in more traffic collisions, vehicle breakdowns, and fatalities. We are aware of the increase in road fatalities in recent times from the National Road Safety Council, and plead that the increased risk from dangerous road conditions be taken seriously.

3. Technical sound and appropriate solutions: Contrary to the minister’s words, patching is a permanent solution for roads with local deterioration, if correctly done. Patching is not a permanent solution for widespread deterioration and, in these cases, professional engineers prescribe full-depth reclamation, milling and paving, with drainage works to match the traffic conditions and weather patterns. Engineers are best suited to prescribe technical and economical solutions for public infrastructure.

BEST-CASE SCENARIOS

The clearest argument for independent oversight of road projects is the stark contrast in quality between well-supervised roads and those lacking proper oversight. Major highways like the Linstead Bypass, St Ann Bay bypass and Spanish Town Bypass, built in the 1970s, continue handling heavy traffic with minimal degradation, while Palisadoes Road and Port Royal Street maintain smooth surfaces, despite high usage. Toll roads, proactively maintained, further highlight the benefits of professional oversight. These successes share a key factor — design, supervision, and construction by independent professionals ensuring compliance with engineering standards.

In contrast, roads like Mona Road and Seymour Avenue expose the failures of weak oversight. Uneven patching and rapid deterioration show the cost of inadequate supervision. Many newly paved roads have become rough and defective, leading to wasted public funds. Independent oversight ensures daily supervision, material testing, quality assurance, and necessary design adjustments, preventing substandard work before payment. It is not just a safeguard, it is essential for durable, high-quality infrastructure.

URGENT CALL FOR INDEPENDENT OVERSIGHT

We strongly recommend an external audit of the REACH programme quality and the immediate implementation of independent engineering oversight on all major roadwork projects, including SPARK and REACH. Simply put, the NWA and the Ministry of Works cannot be their own auditors. This is a matter of national interest, economic efficiency, and public safety.

We urge continued attention to this critical issue and call on the ministry to commit to greater transparency and accountability in road construction. The people of Jamaica deserve safe, durable, and properly maintained roads — not another cycle of improper patchwork, poor oversight, and wasted funds. As engineers and industry professionals, we strongly believe that value for money is critical for the continued development of our nation, through infrastructure.

Article courtesy of The Jamaica Institution of Engineers (JIE). The JIE, advocating for the application of best practices in engineering, was formed in 1977 and has a membership of over 400 engineers. Send feedback to jie@cwjamaica.com