KINSGTON, Jamaica — The National Works Agency (NWA) is advising that consequent on the works to launch the concrete girders, which are critical components of the overpass bridges at Portia Simpson Square (formerly Three Miles) in St Andrew, changes will be made to traffic flow around the area.

Starting tomorrow (December 31), Little Bell Road will only accommodate local traffic.

This means that motorists will not be able to enter this corridor from Marcus Garvey Drive, neither will they be able to exit onto Marcus Garvey Drive, NWA explained in a release a short while ago.

Motorists will also be unable to access some businesses, including Derrimon Trading and Dr Glass, from the direction of Marcus Garvey Drive, the agency continued.

Manager, Communication and Customer Services at the NWA, Stephen Shaw said people doing business in the vicinity of the area where the girders are being launched will be allowed to enter through the construction zone at Portia Simpson Miller Square from the direction of Hagley Park Road. They will also be allowed to use a section of Spanish Town Road.

This set of changes is expected to last for a period of two weeks, during which time the launching of all girders for the first span of the overhead bridges are expected to be complete.

The girders, which are already built and are in storage near the port, will be transported to the construction site via Highway 2000 and Marcus Garvey Drive, he said.

In order to minimise disruption, especially to vehicular traffic, the transport and launching of the girders will be done between the hours of 10:00 am and 12 noon and 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm daily, Shaw said.

The movement of the Girders, which are 100 feet in length, will result in disruption of traffic along a section of the Portmore leg of Highway 2000 and will also impact traffic along Chesterfield Drive, he continued.

The communication and customer services manager said the launching of the girders is a highly technical and dangerous exercise, which will also result in pedestrians being restricted from entering the work zone.

The work at Portia Simpson Miller Square forms part of the project to improve Hagley Park Road and is being done at a cost of US$53 million. It is one of the Government’s legacy projects being done under the Major Infrastructure Development Programme.