NWA to activate four new traffic signals in Montego Bay

The National Works Agency (NWA) is set to commission four new traffic signals into service in Montego Bay, St James, on Friday in a bid to reduce congestion in the city.

The traffic signals are installed at the intersections of Middle Road and the Felicity roadway; Felicity and Sun Valley Road; Felicity and Salt Spring Road; and Salt Spring Road and Vernon's Drive.

The NWA says these signals are expected to regulate the flow of traffic at these intersections and to improve the safety of road users.

The agency notes that congestion has been a serious concern in the city of Montego Bay and the government is now undertaking the Montego Bay Bypass project to alleviate the problem.

However, it says in the interim, motorists have been using roadways on the outskirts of Montego Bay as a bypass of the city centre.

One such route takes commuters through the community of Ironshore, along Dr Horace Chang Boulevard, Middle Road and several other communities, before exiting onto Westgate Boulevard.

Community Relations Officer at the NWA, Janel Ricketts, says that the agency has sought to reduce the pressure on the roadways through the installation of traffic signals, road markings and road signs. Additionally, several roadways on the outskirts of Montego Bay were rehabilitated to provide viable alternatives for commuters.

Additionally, as part of the new traffic management plan, the Middle Road, in Norwood, St James, is to be converted to a one-way traffic flow, travelling northbound toward the direction of the Jamaica Defence Force Barracks in Norwood.

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