KINGSTON, Jamaica — Effective Sunday, September 1, 2019, traffic changes and restrictions will be implemented at Central Avenue off Constant Spring Road and on Marcus Garvey Drive, in the vicinity of Chesterfield Drive.

 The changes are part of the National Works Agency’s (NWA) efforts to have traffic moving quickly and efficiently, especially with an anticipated increase in traffic with the reopening of schools.

Manager of Communication and Customer Services at the NWA, Stephen Shaw, explained that traffic coming from the direction of Constant Spring Road or Shortwood Road will be able to enter Central Avenue, but motorists will be restricted from exiting Central Avenue onto Constant Spring Road.

He further clarified that Central Avenue will still operate as a two-way for entities along the corridor, but vehicles wishing to access Constant Spring Road must use alternative routes, one of which is West Avenue. To augment these changes traffic signals have been commissioned into use at the intersections of Mannings Hill Road / Constant Spring Road and West Avenue / Constant Spring Road, in the vicinity of Oakland Apartments.

Similarly, the median along Marcus Garvey Drive will be reinstated hence Chesterfield Drive will only accommodate left in or left out traffic.

Shaw said that individuals travelling on Chesterfield Road heading towards the Portmore Toll Road or downtown Kingston will no longer be able to turn right onto Marcus Garvey Drive. Motorists travelling from the direction of Three Miles will also not be allowed to turn right onto Chesterfield Drive. The traffic signals at the intersection of Chesterfield Drive and Marcus Garvey Drive will be decommissioned.

Shaw further explained that traffic changes that were implemented along East Avenue and Maxfield Avenue in Kingston last year will remain in effect. East Avenue will continue to function as a one-way from Marcus Garvey Drive towards Spanish Town Road and Maxfield Avenue will continue to have two lanes travelling north and one lane travelling south between Spanish Town Road and Richmond Park Avenue with all three lanes operating as a one-way continuing north up to Hagley Park Road.

Shaw said other improvements and changes will be implemented simultaneously along select roadways within the Corporate Area to positively assist with traffic management.

In the meantime, he said that the NWA is now looking to make changes to the flow of traffic along South Avenue in Kingston, as it seeks to reduce congestion levels along this corridor. The road connects the two North/South corridors of Constant Spring Road and Waterloo Road. A one-way system is being contemplated for this corridor.