Drivers travel free as Jamaica’s toll booths open for Hurricane Melissa
Published:Sunday | October 26, 2025 | 6:30 PM
Transport Minister Daryl Vaz has ordered all toll booths across Jamaica to be opened free of cost as weather conditions deteriorate with the approach of Hurricane Melissa.
The directive took effect at 5 p.m. Sunday.
“It will remain open throughout the hurricane and also until I give further directions as a result for the post-hurricane operations,” Vaz said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
On Saturday, Vaz said he had already signed the order was awaiting further updates on the weather condition to bring it into effect.
Jamaica's two tolled hgihway networks are Highway 2000 East-West, which is managed by TransJamaican Highway Limited, while the North-South Highway is run by the Jamaica North-South Highway Company Limited.
The Meteorological Service of Jamaica, in its 5 p.m. bulletin, reported that Hurricane Melissa had strengthened again, with maximum sustained winds increasing to near 230 km/h (145 mph).
The Category 4 storm is forecast to make landfall in Jamaica Monday night or Tuesday morning, bringing torrential rainfall, life-threatening storm surge, and destructive winds.
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