Work to improve Crewe Road safety

| 24/06/2017 | 9 Comments

(CNS): The National Roads Authority (NRA) will be working on parts of Crewe Road this summer to make “functional and safety improvements” to the Smith Road intersection and widen the road near the Silver Oaks Roundabout. As Dart continues its ambitious road works near Camana Bay and the Esterley Tibbetts Highway project, the NRA is working on several other projects in addition to the Linford Pierson Highway.

Officials said the work on the Crewe Road and Smith Road intersection will start on 4 July and continue through the summer in order to finish the project while schools are on break and reduce commuter delays after they resume.

The work includes reforming the existing traffic islands and the construction of a mini-roundabout to create a new junction. This is intended to increase safety by reducing the operational speed of the junction and setting clearer vehicle priorities at each approach.

When it is finished, drivers approaching the junction from the north and traveling eastbound who intend to travel along Agnes Way will keep right and must negotiate the mini-roundabout, the NRA said in a release. Those approaching the junction from the north and traveling eastbound onto Crewe Road will keep left to avoid the mini-roundabout and continue onwards.

Paving and the construction of concrete curbs will form the new island layout but the junction will fit within the existing road reserve and will not require additional widening.

The project to widen Crewe Road from the Silver Oaks Roundabout through to Navis Close is intended to accommodate a centre turn lane, the NRA explained. It will include geometric improvements and a two-lane entry onto the Silver Oaks roundabout to improve safety and traffic flow in the eastbound direction.

Work will include drainwell drilling and construction, road re-grading and the construction of new curbs and sidewalks. The relocation of water meters and several utility poles previously positioned in the new road reserve have already been done. Engineers will ultimately construct a three-lane carriageway, with one traveling lane eastbound, one lane traveling westbound and a central turn lane for turning movements.

The work will deal with roadway drainage by means of re-grading the roadway and installing new curbs and drainwells. There are also plans to improve pedestrian accessibility and safety by providing a continuous sidewalk along the northern side of Crewe Road.

The NRA has made landowners and businesses in the affected areas aware of the proposed changes and provided a point of contact for people with questions or feedback (edison.jackson@nra.ky).

Meanwhile, drivers along Linford Pierson Highway’s west-bound lane are reminded that it will be closed on Sunday, 25 June, from 7 am to 4 pm, and the Esterley Tibbetts Highway will be closed from the Butterfield Roundabout to the Century 21 Roundabout from 5 am on Sunday, 25 June, until 6am Monday, 26 June. 

To avoid any delays in ambulance and emergency response during these road closures, the Health Services Authority reminds all road users to be vigilant of emergency vehicles and pull over to the side of the road to allow them passage.

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Comments (9)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    One solution is to create infrastructure in the Eastern districts. If new areas in Bodden Town, East End and Northside would be allowed then people don’t need to stress to get to Town. A second solution : How about more Gov’t entities out in smaller districts? Third solution: Public bus transport done right would obviously be another way to cut down on incoming road rage. Elderly could buy an inexpensive monthly bus pass . Large area of shopping in Frank Sound or East End would allow more people to build in these very small districts. More people moving into these areas would make it worthwhile for businesses to profit outside of Town.

  2. Anonymous says:

    Which moron thought it would be a good idea to put a bouncy castle in the middle of a main road on Saturday??

  3. John Smith says:

    Utter chaos on the roads on Sunday, took me an hour to get from Camana Bay car park to Galleria Plaza.

    Incompetent NRA and RCIPS. If you close roads you need to implement traffic management.

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  4. Anonymous says:

    You can build all the lanes and roads you want but it will do nothing to ease traffic flow in rush hour, because it all still bottlenecks at Hurleys, the only way and the root of all the traffic problems for those travelling to and from the East.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Totally agree, and the obvious solution is an overpass or flyover. Vey expensive to construct, but imagine how many millions of hours of lost productivity occur each year due to the traffic snarls. It would result in a surge in the economy of the eastern districts as living east of Hurleys would no longer be a huge negative, and make an immense improvement in peoples’ lives. No more leaving home before dawn to get to work or school on time, no more missed flights by residents and departing tourists, no more racing the clock to get out of George Town in the evening before the 5 O’clock snarl.

      And yet, to my knowledge this simple remedy has never been seriously considered or costed, never been the subject of a feasibility study, or part of a political manifesto.

      Compare a the cost of building a flyover to the proposed cruise port, which is expected to cost many hundreds of million dollars, will have serious negative impacts, will only directly benefit a small section of the populations, and is far from universally accepted as necessary.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Actually, good (subsidized) public transport would solve the cost at a fraction of the cost, promote sustainable employment (until drivers are replaced with computers) and reduce pollution. Win-Win-Win

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        • Anonymous says:

          I am also a big proponent of a good public transportation system. I caution however that it will not be an overnight fix, the way the overpass can be.

          First, there is a huge political inertia to overcome, then one would have to change public behavior, and people who already own vehicles would be reluctant to stop using them. While the transition takes place, there would still be huge traffic back-ups which are going to snarl the public buses, as well as private motorists. Even if these problems were somewhat alleviated by use of special bus lanes and high tolls for private and/or low occupancy vehicles, it is going to take time, and all along the population is increasing to the point that the flyover will be required anyway. My suggestion is to build it now, reducing the back-up immediately, charge a toll to use the road (to pay for the overpass), and then get people used to the idea of taking modern public transport, saving everyone money and stress and reducing environmental impact.

          Signed

          Dreamer

  5. Driver. says:

    Well done!, Honurable Minister’s Tibbetts & Archer!
    Kudos to the NRA Board & Staff as well. God’s Speed.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Agreed! Good job on these improvements.
      Now if we could get RCIPS to re-instate a Traffic Unit and ENFORCE traffic laws!..including use of indicators (especially with Police and other Official Govt. vehicles setting proper example!)

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