by Kevon Browne
St. Kitts and Nevis (WINN): Seven intersections in the Basseterre area were chosen as the new dwelling for traffic signal lights to help control the flow of traffic.
The project which began on January 5, 2021, is still underway. Although the traffic lights have been erected at all seven intersections by the contractor for the project, Synergy Engineering Limited out of Jamaica, there is more work to be done.
Initially, it was reported that the project was expected to be completed in March; however, that date has come and gone, and work still continues, specifically at the Bird Rock/Bay Road intersections.
The reason for that is the build out of a “slip lane” or “slip road” currently in development.
A slip lane or slip road is a road at a junction that allows people to change roads without actually entering an intersection, and according to Livingston Pemberton an Engineer with the Department of Public Works, the slip lane is expected to ease the flow of traffic moving left towards the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank and from the Bird Rock area (onto the Bay Road) without getting into the intersection.
Pemberton, in an invited comment with WINN, said the work on the slip lane is expected to be completed in May.
“The Public Works Department through the roads division is currently undertaking works at the Bird Rock and Bay Road intersection. The intention there is to further improve the flow of traffic at this intersection. The work that is being undertaken there is scheduled to be completed sometime in May of 2021,” explained Pemberton.
With the completion of the slip lane, it would still take some time before the traffic lights are operational and the changes to the flow of traffic are implemented.
Pemberton continued, “Subsequently, the contractor [Synergy Engineering Limited] for traffic signals will return to the federation to proceed to undertake activities at the Bird Rock and Bay Road intersections in keeping with the new layout that is there… sometime earlier we [spoke about] the slip lanes that would help to allow for free flow of traffic going towards the Central Bank Area as well as coming from the Bird Rock area.”
When asked about the expected commissioning of the new traffic signal lights, Pemberton offered no clear date at this time.
