THE National Works Agency (NWA) will be undertaking major road upgrading works between Eastwood Park Road and Manor Park in St Andrew.

The 3.5 kilometres of roadway will be widened to accommodate four lanes of traffic, new management solutions and improved pedestrian facilities.

Manager, communication and customer service at NWA Stephen Shaw, told JIS News that the project is aimed at reducing traffic congestion, which is a major problem for commuters along Constant Spring Road and motorists travelling to Kingston from the parishes of St Mary and Portland.

“The Constant Spring Road is one of the major roads in the Corporate Area and it is really oversaturated right now. The number of motor vehicles that we see on a daily basis is about 30,000. It is way over capacity, and so we want to add capacity to the road. It requires us moving from what we now have, which is two lanes, to four lanes; and so at the end of all of this, when we shall have completed the work, we expect to see a more efficient flow,” he explained.

Shaw was speaking to JIS News at a stakeholders meeting held at Karram Speid Auditorium, Merl Grove High School, located on Constant Spring Road on last Wednesday.

“We expect to see less congestion, improvement in travel times, we expect to see persons getting to work in a more efficient way — much quicker — and also getting home from work in a quicker way,” he added.

Shaw said there are serious traffic snares along Manor Park heading towards Long Lane and all the way to Stony Hill, and this has caused issues for persons who work in the commercial hub of Kingston.

“We really want to ensure that persons can get to work and get home from work in a more efficient way,” he said.

He said that in addition to commuters, businesses along Constant Spring Road will benefit from the road expansion.

“Businesses will benefit in a significant way from their employees coming to work in a more refreshed way, having had more rest at home,” he pointed out.

Shaw told JIS News that the timeline for the project will be announced to the public soon.

“Right now, we are dealing with some of the nuts and bolts. The contract price has been determined, we are awaiting some word from the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation as to a date for the contracts to be signed. And as soon as that contract is signed, then we will be in a position to indicate a start date and end date for the project,” he said.

The project will include improvements where Constant Spring Road intersects with Red Hills Road, West Kings House Road, Dunrobin Avenue, Shortwood Road, West Avenue and Oaklands, Immaculate Conception and Constant Spring tax office, and Oliver Road.

There will be new signalised intersections where Constant Spring Road intersects with Mannings Hill Road, Constant Spring Terrace and Hillman Road, Clifton Boulevard, Manor Centre, Manor Park circulation, Stillwell Road and Long Lane.

Central Avenue will become a one-way corridor, and a temporary bridge will be created within the Manor Park circulation.

Shaw said that sewer lines will also be upgraded.

“It is going to be an integrated project to include water, sewer and road, so what we want to happen, is that at the end of the process, we won’t have a situation where Constant Spring Road becomes an issue where we have a sewer system that is failing or water lines that are defective.

“We want to have all of these things taken out of the way, so when we are finished the work, there will be no form of interruption.”

Approximately 88 parcels of land will be affected by the expansion, and Shaw said that negotiations are under way with the property owners.

“We have been going through with the National Land Agency to try and conclude as many of these matters as is possible. We have concluded some of the agreements,” Shaw said.

— JIS