Government officials are rolling out another phase of the multimillion dollar Ocho Rios development project.

The US $20 m planned expansion project will see the renovation and improvement of the Ocho Rios cruise ship pier.

The project is a collaborative effort amongst the Port Authority, Urban Development Company and the Tourism Enhancement Fund to make Ocho Rios more tourists friendly.

Other works include upgrading the turtle river road, renovating the fisherman beach and resurfacing the major thoroughfare in the town.

Speaking this morning (May 12), Senior Vice President of Engineering and Port Development at the Port Authority at Mervis Edghill says the tour of the cruise ship pier is to devise a plan for the pier, to accommodate two large cruise ships simultaneously.

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There are two piers in Ocho Rios, the Reynolds bauxite pier owned by Batco and used at times to dock cruise ships and a dedicated cruise ship pier owned by the Port Authority of Jamaica and managed by Lannaman and Morris shipping.

Edghill notes that the aim of this phase of the project is to develop a world class cruise ship terminal in St. Ann, and create a more tourist friendly atmosphere similar to that in Falmouth, Trelawny.

He notes that the commercial activities of sugar and limestone production at the Reynolds pier will not be a hindrance to the cruise ship terminal development phase.

The overall project is scheduled to be completed by 2018, however, some components will be completed by mid-2017.

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Ocho Rios cruise ship pier was toured this morning by Minister Without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation Dr. Horace Chang, Member of Parliament for North East St. Ann Shahine Robinson and President & CEO of the Port Authority of Jamaica Professor Gordon Shirley.