The National Works Agency (NWA) has announced new traffic changes along Marcus Garvey Drive, in Kingston, to reduce the level of congestion along the busy thoroughfare during peak hours.

The traffic changes, which take effect next Monday, follow months of bitter complaints by motorists from Portmore, St. Catherine, about long delays on the seven-month-old toll road. Traffic flow comes to a standstill during morning peak hours owing to a bottleneck at the highway's exit to Marcus Garvey Drive.

An uninterrupted flow

In a statement to the media yesterday, the NWA said motorists will no longer be able to make right turns at 9th Avenue, East Avenue, Industrial Terrace, Seprod Limited and Petrojam Limited between 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. on week days. "This will allow for an uninterrupted flow of eastbound traffic between the Portmore toll road off ramp and downtown Kingston," said Stephen Shaw, manager of communications and customer services at the NWA.

He said right turns would only be allowed at 4th Avenue. Those vehicles wanting to make right turns beyond this point will have to travel up to Water Lane then make the change over on to the west-bound lane.

Shaw said the necessary road markings and signs have been put in place to advise motorists of the changes.