A major port development project in Montego Bay is now “back on track,” according to Gordon Shirley, the chairman of the Port Authority of Jamaica.

The construction phase of the $19.3 million USD project is going ahead, he said, after the plans had been put on hold to facilitate the construction of a liquefied natural gas terminal at the Montego Bay port by New Fortress Energy.

“When the Authority was approached by New Fortress Energy less than two years ago to facilitate the shipment of LNG to our terminal in Montego Bay and to allow for the construction of the storage facility on our port lands, it was not difficult for us to convince our Board and our parent Ministry that this was something that we should support in the national interest,” he said.

The project includes the construction of new cruise-terminal buildings and ground transportation staging areas, along with modification to the port’s container freight station, paving of expanded cargo storage areas and installation of new relief-storage facilities.

The Port Authority is also looking to increase the berthing capacity at the port to accommodate two dedicated cruise berths, along with separate berths for the handling of containerized and bulk cargo and for the handling of fuels, respectively.

“On completion, it will give the port the flexibility to handle multiple vessels simultaneously and the capacity to process an expanded range of cargo to facilitate the growth of western Jamaica,” Shirley said.