LUCEA, Hanover — Plans by National Works Agency to utilise the Malcolm Heights District Road as an alternative for the congested town of Lucea has hit a snag as residents have not embraced the idea.

The plan is to make a narrow section of the hilly route, which experienced a partial breakaway some time ago, into a one-way road heading from the Lucea New Testament Church of God to the Lucea Primary School. The remaining section of the road between the community school and Haughton Gardens will remain as a dual-lane thoroughfare.

“It is going to mash up,” a resident of Malcolm Heights District, Mary McIntosh, told the
Jamaica Observer.

“If they insist on doing it as a one-way, you are going to have people demonstrating every day about it because it is going to be a problem,” she added.

Another resident, Vanessa Roy, also shared her concerns.

“I would not advise them to turn this into a one-way because it is going to be hectic for [those] who live here and for those who use it as a bypass. Because, if you have here as a one-way, here will [be] filled with traffic and out the main road will [also be] filled with traffic. So, where will they drive?” questioned Roy.

McIntosh, who is a retired hospital worker, said the proposed changes will make life difficult for residents who live along the area proposed for one-way traffic.

“They just come and do it by pushing everything down our throat. I am old. I am 68 years old and I can’t take it. Right now, I am a diabetic and hypertensive patient and if my children are to take me to the hospital, how do they go along? If they want gas in the vehicle to take me, they have to go right around Lucea and then come right around back to Malcolm Heights,” explained McIntosh.

“It is very hard,” the elderly woman added.

For her part, Roy said taxi operators have already indicated that the proposal will result in a longer route and therefore, the fare charged will have to be increased.

“Now, we pay $200 and $150 for our fare but if they are to do the round trip come around, it is going to be $500 for our fare and they are not moving off the stand until they sort out their money,” stated Roy.

A community meeting was held on January 25 where residents voiced their concerns and offered solutions. One of their proposals is for repairs to be carried out to the adjoining Brissett Road. They think that would assist in handling the traffic from a section of Malcolm Heights Road and also address other concerns they have. The Brissett Road had become particularly impassable following the collapse of a culvert some time ago. There was also a suggestion for controlled lights to be installed to regulate the flow of traffic.

Disgruntled residents said the meeting was held a month after improvement work started on the Malcolm Heights road in December.

“They did not have any community meetings. When they had the community meeting was when they started the road and put up the sign already,” stated McIntosh.

The project is being done in two phases. While the first phase has ended, preparations are being made for the second phase which also entails the construction of a retaining wall to address the breakaway.

Member of Parliament for Hanover Western Tamika Davis said that a solution that is workable for all parties can be found in time for the start of the second phase.

“I see the concerns. But my personal view is that at this time the decisions do not have to be made immediately. I would encourage the NWA to go back to the drawing board and look at it in a wider context, taking into consideration all the views expressed and especially the concerns of the school. Because if the one-way ends at Lucea Primary, imagine the bottleneck for persons to turn around and go back down in the mornings,” stated Davis.

The NWA’s community relations officer, Western Region, Janel Ricketts told the
Observer that Malcolm Heights is now seen as a feasible solution for a bypass.

“We are currently evaluating the way forward. We met with residents to see how they feel about the proposal,” she said.

Last year, the minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Everald Warmington, during a tour of various roads in the parish, had promised the Malcolm Heights Road as an alternative route. This forms part of wider measures being explored to have traffic congestion in the capital town addressed while the Government prepares to construct a bypass road for the town.

In December, major changes were made in the town. For example, Willie Delisser Boulevard was reverted to two-way, as it was about two decades ago.

The move has drastically eased traffic congestion for vehicles passing through the town from St James towards Negril but has created another issue. Traffic passing through the town from Negril towards St James, which did not normally have issues, is now faced with minor delays.