NEW TRAFFIC LIGHTS COMMISSIONED

 

Minister Pickersgill flicks on the switch thereby turning on the newly installed traffic lights at Munro/Old Hope Roads. Looking on are Dr. Fenton Ferguson, Minister of State in the Ministry of Transport and Works and Mrs. Valrie Juggan-Brown of the Guardsman Group of Companies.

Minister Robert Pickersgill on Tuesday, December 14, 2004 commissioned new traffic lights which were installed at the newly built intersection at Old Hope and Munro Roads.

The intersection and the traffic lights are part of the MTW/NWA series of road improvement projects across the Corporate Area and have been specifically designed to arrest the problem of congestion in metropolitan Kingston & St. Andrew. The $ 51M improvement works, financed by the Road Maintenance Fund along Old Hope Road/Munro Road has been described by the Minister as an example of ‘the people’s tax dollars working on their behalf.

The Project began in March and was done with a view to improving the traffic flow along one kilometer of Old Hope Road between Fairway Ave and Munro Road. These improvements were undertaken in three phases:

A view of the newly installed traffic lights and intersection.

The latter Phase was completed at the end of November at a cost of $29.5M. The roadway has been widened and re-constructed to accommodate four lanes of traffic, an improved drainage system, retaining walls constructed and the road pavement re-surfaced with apshaltic concrete. At the brief ceremony, Minister Pickersgill noted that motorists were enjoying the benefits of swift movement of people goods and services along the corridor. He also said that they (motorists) would also experience a reduction in vehicle operating costs since they would spend less time commuting between Old Hope/Munro Roads and the surrounding areas. The work was completed in record time and with minimum disruptions to road users.

The Minister also used the opportunity to congratulate Nature’s Paradise, a member of the Guardsman Group of Companies for beautifying the road reservation and median strip at the intersection. According to the Minister, ‘Nature’s Paradise has embraced the tenets of the “tree-mendous beautification” programme which was launched in May, 2004, with participation of five corporate bodies along Trafalgar Road.’ ‘I am impressed by their dispatch to adorn the median with flowers and plants; their contribution has added value to the millions of dollars spent to upgrade the corridor,’ he said.