KINGSTON, Jamaica — Traffic along a section of the Broadgate to Agualta Vale/Junction Road in St Mary will be restricted for six hours each day starting at today.

The National Works Agency (NWA) says the restriction will be limited to a two kilometer section between the community of Broadgate and the Westmoreland Bridge. It commences at 9:00 each morning and will be reopened at 3 :00pm.

NWA’s acting communication and community services manager Ramona Lawson explained that the restriction is necessary to facilitate ongoing and critical road improvement works along the corridor.  

Lawson said the current phase of works involves mainly rock excavation and the unstable, steep embankments will cause large boulders to be deposited on the roadway making it very unsafe for vehicles to use the particular section while these activities are taking place.

She said traffic will return to using the area normally within the next four months. The six-hour restriction does not apply to public holidays and so motorists will be able to travel through the area for the entire day on such days during the period.

The roadway from Broadgate to Agualta Vale is being widened and realigned in sections to create a seven metre-wide two-lane corridor complete with safety features including retaining walls and shoulders on both sides of the roadway.

The Capital A Project, which is valued at $597 million, also includes major drainage improvement works where the recurrent slippage of the roadway at an area known as Chovey is to be corrected. The current project is being implemented under Phase One of the larger Toms River to Agualta Vale GOJ Road Improvement Project.