Redesign Harbour View roundabout

THE EDITOR, Madam:

I write to draw attention to the dire traffic situation plaguing commuting motorists of Bull Bay, Harbour View, and St Thomas, due to the Harbour View roundabout.

During peak hours, from approximately 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., traffic congestion extends from the roundabout to St Benedict’s Church, and a nearly two-kilometre stretch that normally takes less than a minute to traverse can take up to 20 minutes.

Each day, motorists, during these peak hours, burn an estimated 0.04 to 0.02 gallons of gas while idling in traffic. The root cause of this bottleneck is the Harbour View roundabout, which has remained largely unchanged for over 50 years despite a significant increase in motorists.

With the recent opening of the Southern Coastal Highway, travel time from Morant Bay to Kingston has significantly improved. However, the bottleneck at the Harbour View roundabout remains a major issue. Even when traffic police are present to manage the flow, the congestion persists.

THREE CONSIDERATIONS

To address this problem, I urge government traffic planners and engineers to consider the following:

• Expansion or redesign: The current design of the Harbour View roundabout should be reconsidered to increase the entry and exit points, reducing congestion.

• Conversion to signalised intersection: Demolishing the roundabout and converting it into a large, signalised intersection with sensors to monitor traffic flow from all four roadways could greatly improve efficiency.

• Futuristic design: Consider a design similar to the Three Miles intersection (former Portia Simpson Miller Square) with an overpass to facilitate smoother traffic flow.

Roundabouts, with increased motorists, over time, often outgrow their effectiveness and require redesign or removal.

The roundabouts at Three Miles and Tom Redcam have been replaced with signalised intersections for this reason.

I urge the relevant government agencies to address the issues at the Harbour View roundabout before the benefits of the Southern Coastal Highway Improvement Project are negated.

MONIQUE GRANT, JP

Urban Planner & University Lecturer