Major road closures, traffic diversion for Carnival Sunday
Published:Friday | April 21, 2017 | 12:00 AMKimberley Small
It is carnival Sunday, and as revellers get ready to flood some of the major roadways in the Corporate Area with an unprecedented four bands being on parade today, the police have advised that there will be major traffic changes that will affect some areas, and as such, motorists should make note and avoid these routes as much as possible.
The Sunday Gleaner was able to obtain a copy of the police traffic plan for today’s carnival parades, showing details of road closures and areas to be affected.
“In order to ensure a safe and smooth passage of the following carnival parades, the necessary Traffic Management Plan will be implemented, which will result in temporary road closures and traffic diversion. There are various stages along the way where all four carnivals will use the same route, subject to different timings,” the police noted.
The four bands on parade today are Xaymaca Carnival, Jamaica Carnival, Xodus Carnival and Bacchanal Jamaica.
Xaymaca Carnival is scheduled for a 10 a.m. start at Grenada Crescent/Knutsford Boulevard and ends along Trafalgar Road at the Worthington Conference Centre, Spanish Court Hotel.
Jamaica Carnival will start at noon at Hope Gardens along Old Hope Road, and will end at the Half-Way Tree Transportation Centre.
For Xodus Carnival, that parade is set to start at 10:15 a.m. at East King’s House Road/Barbican Road, open lot across from Loshushan, and will end along Waterloo Road at the ‘Heineken Premier Open Lot’ across from Devon House.
ROAD CLOSURES/TRAFFIC DIVERSIONS
Bacchanal Jamaica will start at 10:30 a.m. at Sovereign Centre along Hope Road, ending at the Golf Academy on Knutsford Boulevard.
In order to facilitate the start of each parade, the following road closures and traffic diversions will be enforced.
To facilitate the start of Xaymaca Carnival, Knutsford Boulevard between Oxford Road and Trafalgar Road will be closed to vehicular Traffic from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., and all roads leading off to facilitate the lining up of trucks and revellers, and subsequent movements of this parade. Only employees and guests of The Jamaica Pegasus and Marriot Hotel will be allowed access entering and exiting both compounds, using Oxford Road during the period.
For Jamaica Carnival, Old Hope Road between Gardenia Boulevard and Barbican Road, and all roads leading on, will be closed to vehicular traffic from noon to 12:30 p.m.
Traffic travelling along Old Hope Road from Papine will be diverted along Gardenia Boulevard to utilise Mona Road via Old Hope Road to the Half-Way Tree area.
Traffic travelling from Barbican to Papine will be diverted across the lower section of Old Hope Road in front of the Matilda’s Corner Police Station, to use the Munroe Road via Mona Road on to Gardenia Boulevard.
Traffic travelling from Old Hope Road, intending to use Barbican Road, will be allowed to do so; however, when the carnival gets closer, that practice will be disallowed until it clears that intersection.
For Xodus Carnival, East King’s House Road at Paddington Terrace will be closed to vehicular traffic, as also East King’s House Road across from Loshushan, from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Also, vehicles travelling along East King’s House Road from the direction of Hope Road will be diverted along Paddington Terrace, while those travelling along Barbican Road, intending to use Arcadia and beyond, will be diverted left along East King’s House Road towards Hope Road.
For Bacchanal Jamaica, Hope Road from Munroe Road, at the service station and East King’s House Road, will be closed to vehicular traffic from 10 a.m. to 11:17 a.m., while traffic travelling along Old Hope Road from the direction of Waterfalls will be diverted at the service station along Munroe Road, while vehicles travelling along Hope Road from the direction of Half-Way Tree will be diverted along East King’s House Road.