Starting on Monday, March 21, the National Works Agency (NWA) will commence the multi-million dollar reconstruction work along Marcus Garvey Drive in St. Andrew. The 2.4 kilometer stretch between East Avenue and Harbour Street, Kingston will become a work zone for a period of 12 months.
Manager, Communication and Customer Services at the NWA, Stephen Shaw says that among the benefits at the completion of the project will be the:
Widening of approximately 2.44km of the roadway, between East Avenue and Harbour Street. This will see the number of available lanes moving from four to six.
Installation of sidewalks on both sides of the road;
Construction of a median to properly separate eastbound and westbound traffic;
Realignment of a section of the corridor to improve the transition into Harbour Street;
Installation/upgrading of seven (7) traffic signals with pedestrian facilities;
Widening of two box culverts/bridges to accommodate the additional lanes;
Improvement of drainage infrastructure along the corridor;
Addition of a new base layer and Asphaltic Concrete;
Provision of street lights, and
Installation of requisite signs and road markings.
Mr. Shaw says that in general, when the project is completed, motorists can expect a 30% improvement in the travel time along the corridor and controlled intersections with left in and left out manoeuvers, thereby eliminating conflict points along the corridor.
Marcus Garvey works to begin
Sections of Marcus Garvey Drive have regularly been impacted by flooding and the project will also serve to have this mitigated with the improvement in the drainage infrastructure.
Mr. Shaw says the road will be lifted by as much as three feet in sections and that a stabilised concrete base will be used in its construction. This will further enhance the quality of the road, which will be constructed at a cost of US$20.5 million.
In the meantime, Mr. Shaw says that the road will be kept opened, while the project is being executed, however, members of the public should expect some delays.
He says the nature of the work being undertaken will see heavy equipment being on the site and at times not all lanes will be available for use by the motoring public.
Persons are therefore being advised to make travel plans bearing in mind the likely impact of the works. Some 40,000 vehicles travel along Marcus Garvey daily.
