BVI News

No more congestion! Fresh tweaks to RT traffic-turnaround yielding positive results

By Kamal Haynes, BVI News Staff

Stemming from a recent incident in which traffic was seen backed up from Waterfront Drive down to the roundabout in Road Town, BVI News conducted multiple days of surveillance on sections of the city to see just how well government’s traffic-turnaround was working.

Our news centre did not see a recurrence of that incident and the flow of traffic was observed to be virtually smooth during morning, afternoon, and evening-hours.

According to the Head of the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) Traffic Division, Sergeant (Sgt) Augustus Bruce, this might be because of a number of tweaks have since been made to the turnaround system, which he said is now working at about 90 percent optimality. 

However, he said a contributing factor to why the traffic-turnaround is still not running as smoothly as intended is that a lot of persons have not been utilising the road signs which direct how motorists should manoeuvre when entering and exiting the roundabout.

“If you occupy the extreme left side of the road coming from Waterfront, when you reach the roundabout you must turn left, you cannot drive around the roundabout from that point. A lot of people are not utilising the arrow or the direction of the road markings, thus creating some confusion in other drivers’ mind,” Sgt Bruce explained.

“But going forward, it is marked out now so that the roundabout has an entry and an exit. So you cannot enter the roundabout coming from the west just at any point since there will be an entry point,” he added.

Noel Park x Admin Drive Junction

The top traffic cop also pointed to an issue that previously existed at the junction that leads from the Noel Lloyd Park to Administration Drive.

He said there has been an increase in the volume of traffic which travels to that because of the new one-way system. As a result, a decision was made to implement new road signs which gives these motorists the right of way.

“We have placed two stop signs on the Admin Drive – one east, one west – to allow persons utilising that road to stop and to allow traffic coming from the Noel Lloyd Park road to go on to Admin Drive,” he said.

Parking issue on Chalwell Street

Sgt Bruce said at least one more adjustment is to be made to the system.

He said: “We have another issue which is on Chalwell Street – which is that portion of road going towards Midtown restaurant – because people are still parking on both sides of the road.”

“There is a no parking sign there and the department is trying to shift out where the private entry is from the public so that we can put the sign to restrict parking on one side of the road,” he added.

Joint initiative between RVIPF and ministry

Meanwhile, the poilce sergeant also said the RVIPF has been working in conjunction with the Ministry of Transportation to have a number of persons assigned to coordinate traffic at the new change-around points in Road Town.

“We started off with about 29 persons but as we progressed, we tried to cover the key points and those persons who have not appeared to be doing what I expected of them we have since stopped them and we have kept the more reliable persons,” Sgt Bruce said.

“We are still waiting going forward to see what measures will be put in place, whether we are going to keep four or five of the best persons to assist with enforcement,” he added.

Sgt Bruce, in the meantime, said the RVIPF will continue to monitor activity in Road Town and will be actively enforcing the law for all persons who continue to violate it.

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25 Comments

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  1. time will tell says:

    Wait til the cruise ships are back…Wait until the schools reopen….Wait til the government complex gets back up to par

    Like 20
    Dislike 11
    • Why? says:

      Cruise ships are being scrapped

      Schools are online now

      CAB will become a 10-20 yr. project like the Cruise ship Pier Park.

      Like 6
      Dislike 5
      • There says:

        will be a tremendous decline in academic, intellectual, cognitive, intelligence and artistic growth and development across the board, and that reality will have devastating effects for minds and society for decades, if online schooling remains the only methods of educating.

        The volatility of the issue is recognized and understood. The fall outs will be devastating to students, intellectual, cognitive and economic growth.

        Though the protection of life is paramount, can’t afford to have one child or teacher succunbing to an infection of this type, yet, it is hoped that all ideas will be coalesced to arrive at the most effective methods to restart and continue effective educating and education, back to a place where it is most effective and productive.

        If not, such can and will have devastating affects the overall growth of the territory, human and monetary parameters, for decades.

        Like 12
    • Nope says:

      No one is obeying the two stop signs on administration Drive and the roundabout funnels down to one lane so the two lane highway is not working properly.

      Like 2
      Dislike 2
  2. Truth says:

    I hope whatever tweak they did was done on the weekend because up to Friday there was heavy traffic. The new traffic flow is a great initiative but we need the police to penalize those not following the signs and parking on the road.

    Like 24
    Dislike 1
  3. Strupes says:

    Not accurate!

    Like 11
    Dislike 2
  4. MERGE says:

    People need to learn how to merge at the roundabout !

    Like 31
  5. The Nation says:

    They need to make that road that leads from DeCastro Street to the Main Road (by Cutlass Building) a 2-WAY Street again cos you have to drive all the way around to get back to the bank….you should be able to drive in that street if you want to get back to scotia or first bank from Banco or the admin complex rather than drive all the way around by bobbies.

    Like 18
    Dislike 14
    • To Nation: (I Got trapped) says:

      I agree with you 100 percent. when this was first implemented I wanted to go to Scotia, coming from West direction. I went through Admin Drive, hoping to take the road by the Noel Lloyd Park. Had to do an about turn, go all the way up town, and back down again. Sigh

      Like 5
      Dislike 5
    • @The Nation says:

      If it’s an issue you should park and walk. It should not be necessary to park right outside the premises you wish to visit.

      Like 30
      Dislike 8
      • GTFOH says:

        That’s one of the main roots of our traffic problems. Lazy b*****ds trying to park at the doorway of every business that they go to. Give them a chance they would block traffic just to remain as close to the door as possible. They does drive for hours just to get to one location when they go away but when they here they don’t want to walk a few feet.

        Like 11
    • @the nation says:

      That mean you’re doing it wrong. You missed a turn somewhere or something.

  6. Confirmation Needed says:

    Can someone please confirm if Chalwell Street has been changed to a one way street. Originally all the side roads were two way now there is a Do Not Enter Sign at the entrance from the highway.

  7. The Nation says:

    Also, switching lanes from right to left in the eastbound direction right after the stop lights at administration drive is a bad accident to happen…that’s just before the Nagico turn off left…. that needs to be looked at because the road is so wide that you don’t get an accurate view in your rear view mirrors and you have to literally turn back to see if there is a vehicle in your path…PLEASE MINISTER LOOK AT THAT

    Like 7
    Dislike 1
  8. YOUTH says:

    I commend the Government for this redirecting of the traffic initiative

    Like 6
    Dislike 3
  9. Tweak? says:

    Well they must not be finished. There is still confusion on the roundabout. People are still cutting lanes while on the roundabout. And that drive up pass the Noel Lloyd is a bit of contention. People don’t stop at the stop sign and on coming traffic is just difficult to see.

  10. @ Tweak says:

    Drivers need to drive sensibly.. thats all. You come off the round about in town, you stay in the right lane. Dont cut across to the left lane. Think while you drive or do a practice on the road before you cause confusion.

  11. ??? says:

    The left lane should give you 3 options – Fleming Street, turning lane to Fire Station, or continue East in left lane in direction of Supa Value. Right lane should take you East or around the round about to Bobby’s and the banks. Forcing the bulk of the traffic in the right lane and telling me I can only go to Fleming Street in the left lane is madness and will continue to create a Bottleneck that will always cause the traffic to back up. Both lanes should take you through the round about, while yielding for the traffic on the roundabout of course…

    Like 6
    Dislike 1
  12. HMMMM says:

    Tell the truth man! COVID-19 is responsible for no more congestion in Road Town. There are no more cruise ships, schools closed, people hardly working in office they are working from home, nobody have money to shop, there are no big events happening, people aren’t banking like before. TELL THE TRUTH!! The congestion will return when we find a way to return to business as usual and it will be worse because people now have one option and cannot avoid the main road traffic!!

  13. Just saying says:

    The arrows need to be drawn on the road and any road constructions need to be done at night. Those pics must have been taken early morning because the lanes always full and back up

  14. ReX FeRaL says:

    Please stop with the foolish talk.

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