Work on new Old Harbour stoplight takes shape

The stoplights will be planted at the East Street, Marlie Acres Road, Goulbourne Lane intersection, a location that has accounted for several traffic accidents on a regular basis for years.

Consensus has been unanimous among stakeholders in Jamaica’s fastest growing town regarding the aforementioned traffic hotspot, but its realization has been hampered due to several factors until now.

Member of Parliament Everald Warmington is among those who have led the charge for lights to be installed with support coming from the St Catherine Municipal Corporation as well as the Old Harbour-based South St Catherine Chamber of Commerce.

When complete the work will pave the way for an adjustment in traffic flow on Lafe Street and Goulbourne Lane, a moot point going back approximately eight years. The proposed idea will see a one-way system effected on Lafe Street moving southerly with Goulbourne Lane traffic going the opposite direction exiting onto East Street.

Some 80 metres of a section of East Street has already been widened to facilitate the improved experience for motorists. This is expected to reduce delays on the road for the motoring public.

The project is at an advance stage with cables already placed underground following a most recent observation at the site. With this phase of the project now in place, the work, which falls under the National Works Agency, will see the traffic poles being anchored followed by the installation of the lights.

A timeline for the commissioning of the traffic signals has not being made public.

Meantime, with this new set of traffic lights soon to be commissioned in weeks ahead, Old Harbour stakeholders are likely to intensify its lobbying efforts to erect stoplights at Gutters Square, arguably the largest commercial district and the busiest intersection outside the town centre of southwest St Catherine.

But Old Harbour News understands that that project isn’t high on the priority list at the moment despite the frequent occurrence of accidents at the intersection particularly during morning and evening peak hour traffic.