Highway 2000 is the centerpiece of a multi-year Millennium Projects Programme initiated by the Government of Jamaica announced by Prime Minister P.J. Patterson in September 1999.  The main objective of these projects is to upgrade the country’s infrastructure and assist in providing economic opportunities for growth and the creation of jobs.

These Millennium Projects include the establishment of a new population center in mid-island, a Sports complex, the Milk River Spa, Vernamfield as a major cargo facility, four industrial parks, a Maroon Theme and the construction of Highway 2000.

The highway is intended to be a four to six lane controlled-access, tolled motorway with fully grade separated interchanges and intersections built according to modern international standards.

Highway 2000 will connect the capital Kingston with Montego Bay and Ocho Rios passing through St. Catherine, Manchester, St. Elizabeth, Westmoreland, Hanover and St. Ann.

The Project is being developed on a design, build, operate and transfer basis by Bouygues Travaux Publics, the Developer / Concessionaire selected through an internationally supervised and transparent bidding process.

The Developer / Concessionaire is also part of a private / public partnership with the Government of Jamaica in the successful implementation of the country’s most ambitious infrastructure project.

Implementation of the Highway 2000 project will address the problems of reduced economic activity and road congestion in the following ways:

• It will serve as a catalyst for economic activity along its corridor and therefore create a synergistic and integrated platform for ensuring increased economic activity.
• It will provide direct and efficient links between the major economic centers, thereby reducing congestion on the existing road system.
• It will reduce population pressures on the major urban centers as commuting from suburban and rural areas will be greatly facilitated.
• It will increase the safety of motorists and reduce vehicle operating costs through the use of higher standards of highway design.
• The project is implemented as a public-private partnership structured to afford the project the maximum benefits of cost and operational efficiency, which the private sector involvement can bring.