Another round of traffic changes are to be implemented along the Mandela Highway, starting this Sunday. The National Works Agency (NWA) will be opening up another 3.4 kilometers of the new roadway to motorists.
Manager, Communication and Customer Services at the NWA, Stephen Shaw says that eastbound traffic (vehicles heading from the direction of Spanish Town) will be allowed onto the new section of road, between the Highway 2000 East/West Off Ramp and Tom Pringle Drive. The change will go into effect at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 25.
Traffic heading from Kingston will however remain on the current roadway for now, except for those persons wishing to access businesses in the Ferry Community. Persons travelling from Kingston destined for the Hydel Group of Schools, the police station or the Ferry Community will be allowed to do so via a section of the “Q-ramp.” The Q-ramp is the new section of road near the entrance to the Ferry Community that is now used by vehicles heading into the city.
Mr. Shaw says that the new section of road between the Ferry Police Station and Tom Pringle Drive, onto which Kingston-bound vehicles will be redirected, will operate as a two way corridor, effective Sunday, when the first set of changes are implemented.
He explains that the switching of the traffic to the new section of the roadway will allow for the completion of work on the eastbound carriageway in the vicinity of the Ferry Police Station which is to be widened and an off ramp built. These works are to be completed by Sunday, April 1.
Mr. Shaw says that this will then allow for the placement of both east and westbound traffic on the new road during the first week of April following which soil stabilization work and the placement of additional base material for the construction of the westbound lanes will be undertaken.
He says the police have been engaged at the highest level in order to ensure that the changes have minimal impact on the travelling public. Additional flag-persons are to be placed along the corridor and new signs erected as part of the overall safety plan.
Modifications will also be made to the areas where buses pick up and set down passengers. Commuters are therefore being advised to exercise extreme caution when using the improved Mandela Highway, especially over the next few months.
