The long line of traffic on the Portmore toll road inching slowly towards Marcus Garvey Drive on Monday. - Norman Grindley /Deputy Chief Photographer

John Myers Jr., Staff Reporter

There have been some improvements to the traffic flow on the congested Portmore segment of Highway 2000, say the authorities, but there are some motorists who complain that the measures that were implemented to reduce congestion are not effective.

Several changes to traffic flow were implemented on Marcus Garvey Drive, Kingston, last week Monday, amid complaints of the unacceptably high level of congestion by users of the Portmore toll road. The changes include the restriction of right turns at all intersections on Marcus Garvey Drive, except at Fourth Avenue. Motorists wanting to make right turns above Fourth Avenue can do so only at Water Lane where they can change over to the westbound lane.

Trevor Jackson, managing director of TransJamaican Highway, operators of the toll road, said the measures were working.

"Last week we had almost no traffic, but that was nothing special because we had a mid-term (school) break and this morning it (the traffic) didn't reach the bridge, so that's much much better than it used to be," Mr. Jackson said Monday. He said the flow should improve even more when the widening of the existing roadway from the toll-road off ramp on Marcus Garvey Drive to Portia Simpson Miller square is completed.

Effective changes

On Monday, Steven Shaw, manager of communication and customer service at the National Works Agency said the changes on Marcus Garvey Drive have been effective in reducing the level of congestion that usually occurs on the toll road coming into Kingston.

But according to one motorist who endures the punishing journey into Kingston on weekday mornings, the measures that have been instituted have done little to ease the congestion. The motorist said it took him nearly half an hour to travel from the toll booth to Marcus Garvey Drive on Monday.

However, Mr. Shaw retorted: "We at no time had said that it was a fool-proof system. But what we are sure of is that it is much better now." He contended that the journey, which usually takes nearly an hour, now takes between eight and 15 minutes.

Since the completion of the tolled-highway last July, Portmore residents have had to contend with long lines and sweltering heat during morning traffic, despite promises that the new multi-lane roadway would have eased the problem.

The congestion has been blamed mainly on the inability of Marcus Garvey Drive to handle the high volume of traffic coming off the highway.