In a bid to reduce congestion in Montego Bay, St James, the National Works Agency (NWA) has installed four new traffic signals along a route that is used to bypass the city.

These signals will be commissioned into service on Friday, September 1, 2023, the NWA said in a statement on Wednesday.

“Congestion has been a serious concern in the city of Montego Bay and the government is now undertaking the Montego Bay Bypass project to alleviate the congestion in the city centre. In the interim, motorists have been using roadways on the outskirts of Montego Bay as a bypass of the city centre. One such route takes commuters through the community of Ironshore, along Dr Horace Chang Boulevard, Middle Road, and several other communities, before exiting onto Westgate Boulevard,” the statement read.

Community Relations Officer at the NWA, Janel Ricketts, said the agency has sought to reduce the pressure on roadways within the city of Montego Bay through a multifaceted approach that involved the installation of traffic signals, and the installation of road markings and road signs.

Additionally, several roadways on the outskirts of Montego Bay were rehabilitated to provide viable alternatives for commuters.

Ricketts said the traffic signals were installed at the intersections of Middle Road and the Felicity roadway; Felicity and Sun Valley Road; Felicity and Salt Spring Road; and Salt Spring Road and Vernon’s Drive. These signals are expected to regulate the flow of traffic at these intersections and to improve the safety of road users.

Also as part of the new traffic management plan, the Middle Road, in Norwood St James, is to be converted to a one-way traffic flow, travelling northbound toward the direction of the JDF Barracks in Norwood.