KSAMC launches emergency road-patching programme to ease traffic congestion

The Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) has launched an emergency road-patching programme aimed at repairing some of the municipality’s most severely degraded roadways and easing traffic congestion.

The KSAMC is blaming poor road conditions for some of the gridlock being experienced across the municipality, particularly in Downtown Kingston and New Kingston.

City Engineer Xavier Chevannes said potholes and other defects are forcing motorists to slow down or stop, affecting traffic flow.

He said the Roads and Works Department has been assessing link roads, main thoroughfares and parochial roads, with priority being given to routes where repairs could improve traffic movement.

“...you might have a few potholes on it. But when motorists traverse these roads, they would have to come to a halt, a stop, before they traverse, based on the state of the pavement,” Chevannes explained.

He said repairing those sections would allow for “better manoeuvrability and better productivity” and improve efficiency on the road network.

Kingston Mayor Andrew Swaby said the patching programme began after the completion of the council’s mitigation programme, with work already underway on about 20 to 25 roads.

The programme includes community roads as well as some major thoroughfares normally repaired by the National Works Agency (NWA).

Swaby said the council is assisting with repairs to some NWA-managed roads because large potholes are contributing to traffic build-up.

“When you have these big craters across the road, it impedes traffic. For example, persons have to slow down and it builds up that traffic,” the mayor said.

The NWA manages the main road network and major highways, while community and parochial roads generally fall under the responsibility of local authorities.

Swaby said the programme was also prompted by complaints from residents and concerns raised by the police about badly damaged roads.

“We would have heard the outcry of the citizens of Kingston and St Andrew,” he said, adding that the council had also met with the police, who identified major roads where repairs were needed.

“So, that's what we are trying to do, alleviating the traffic, and we also value what our stakeholders say to us,” Swaby said.

However, he acknowledged that the council’s ability to address the problem is constrained by limited funding.

“Obviously, if we had more funds, we'd be in a better position to respond to the people of Kingston and St Andrew,” Swaby said.

He noted that the Parochial Revenue Fund is also used for other municipal responsibilities, including drain cleaning during the hurricane season, making it difficult to set aside a fixed amount each month solely for road repairs.

The Government has also embarked on a major road improvement programme, dubbed Shared Prosperity through Accelerated Improvement to our Road Network (SPARK), which targets more than 600 roads across the island.

- Karen Madden

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