Answer found for Lucea’s traffic woes

WESTERN BUREAU:

The Hanover Municipal Corporation (HMC) and the National Works Agency (NWA) have developed a comprehensive plan that they are hoping will adequately address the chronic traffic congestion in Lucea, the Hanover parish capital.

Unhappy with a situation that sees a trip by road through the popular township, which should take no more than three to five minutes, taking a much as 15 to 30 minutes, the Hanover Traffic Committee initiated a meeting to look at possible solutions to address the matter.

Following the meeting, which benefited from the expertise of Dwayne Johnson, the HMC’s acting chief engineering officer, all the stakeholders agreed on a draft plan developed to address the daily congestion problem, which is particularly troublesome when it rains.

“Based on what we have here, we are proposing that Willie Delliser Boulevard be turned into a two-way street. We will place barriers or medians in the centre of that boulevard, and parking in that area would now be prohibited,” said Johnson in giving insight into the draft plan.

While the move is expected to be beneficial to the motoring public, the HMC will be losing revenue as it relates to the paid parking arrangements it currently has in place along that thoroughfare.

Johnson further explained that the plan would involve the installation of traffic lights at two intersections in the town and the removal of the roundabout at Bustamante Square. Additionally, he said, two pedestrian crossings will be installed, and some streets will be converted to one-way streets to facilitate the smooth flow of traffic out of the town.

“Persons entering the transportation centre coming from Montego Bay will have the option of turning right on Willie Delliser Boulevard as there will be breaks in the median on that street to facilitate those buses and taxis going in and out of the transportation centre,” stated Johnson.

“Moosley Drive will now become two-way, so you would have traffic being directed out of the town through Millers Drive,” added Johnson.

The draft plan has been welcomed by Lucea Mayor Sheridan Samuels, who has been frustrated by the long-standing congestion problem.

“This vision we had seen for some time now, but it was not shared by some people. Now that the NWA has a new parish manager, we are seeing eye to eye,” explained Samuels. “I would like to see this new traffic arrangement in place by Christmas.”