Western Hanover MP bats for Lucea bypass road
TAMIKA DAVIS, the member of parliament (MP) for Hanover Western, has joined the growing list of stakeholders calling for the establishment of the much-talked-about Lucea bypass road to address the daily traffic congestion in the hard-to-navigate parish capital.
Speaking during the State of the Constituency Debate in Parliament on Tuesday, Davis outlined both short term and long-term solutions to address the problem, which has been plaguing Lucea for an extended period, especially in periods of heavy rainfall.
“It is painfully obvious that the town of Lucea needs a bypass. The one way into the town has outlived its usefulness, and it is time enough for the change,” Davis said.
The perennial traffic congestion in Lucea has been a source of major concern for both Jamaicans and visitors to the island. While locals have to endure long hours on the congested roads during peak-hour traffic, it is now becoming a regular occurrence for visitors travelling from Negril and other locations in the western part of the parish to the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, to miss their flights out of the island.
ADDRESS CONCERNS
In her address, the first-time MP not only lamented the daily traffic snarls in Lucea, but also spoke to the need to address concerns about the town’s Riley River Bridge, which is primarily responsible for the regular flooding in a section of the town.
“Whenever there is significant rainfall, bamboo and tree roots from upstream block the arches, which causes the river to overflow its banks, leading to flooding and severe traffic delays and losses,” said Davis. “It is high time for the bridge to be removed and replaced with a more modern, open-span bridge, which would allow us to save on maintenance and eliminate the hindrance of flooding for residents and visitors alike.”
Arguing that the increase in the population of the town was also adding to the increased traffic, Davis called for the improvement of some roadways and the dualisation of others to take off some of the traffic from the major thoroughfare.
“It is proposed to upgrade and rehabilitate the Malcolm Heights Drive, and another suggestion is the dualisation of the Willie Delliser Drive, along with other supporting traffic and pedestrian control measures,” explained Davis.
While the bypass road is considered crucial as a long-term solution to address the traffic situation, Davis is convinced that the short-term plans will significantly improve traffic management, if done in conjunction with road improvement works.