The section of Chapel Street, from KNR Husbands Highway to Godding Alley, in Speightstown, St. Peter, will become two-way once again starting Sunday, April 2.
However, all other changes that took effect on Wednesday, March 22, under the Speightstown Traffic Management Plan will remain.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, Works and Water Resources (MTWW), Santia Bradshaw, announced this during a press briefing after she toured the northern town and met with several residents and business owners.
Parliamentary representative for St. Peter, Colin Jordan, as well as officials from the Ministry of Transport, Works and Water Resources (MTWW), the National Conservation Commission, the Barbados Tourism Investment Inc., and the Barbados Police Service, also attended the tour.
Minister Bradshaw told the press that although traffic changes were introduced, it was always the intention of the ministry to review them in action and to analyse their impact. She explained that while touring Speightstown, the group not only looked at the recent traffic changes but also other challenges such as drainage, road infrastructure, and derelict buildings.
“We had at least a week or so to allow persons to use the new traffic management protocols that we have put in place. There have been a few people who have been very boisterous, very loud, and shared their concerns and we appreciated that. We never expected that anything we put in place would be the only way that it could be done…,” she said.
Noting the group spoke with residents, business operators, and property owners, the Transport Minister said: “Many of them have indicated that their biggest concern has been the Chapel Street area, which we had turned into a one-way street. Many of them have been affected in terms of the traffic flow…. And, as a consequence, on review with the Traffic Management Division, we have agreed that we will reverse that change and we will have the Chapel Street area return to a two-way system.”
However, she emphasised that the MTWW personnel needed to remove and install the relevant signage and road markings and roll out the necessary publicity before the change would take effect.
Minister Bradshaw further indicated that the group also toured Queen Street, Orange Street, Godding Alley, and Sand Street. She noted that the one-way traffic flow system and the parking and delivery zones seemed to be working. Additional parking is available in the BTI’s car park located next to Chefette Restaurant, which may be accessed through Church Street and Godding Alley.
While the section of Chapel Street, from KNR Husbands Highway to Godding Alley, will return to two-way traffic flow from Sunday, April 2; Queen Street, only from the junction at Chapel Street, along with Orange Street, and Sand Street will continue to be one-way in a northerly direction.
Godding Alley into Chapel Street will remain one-way, while Major Walk will continue to be two-way, and Church Street will remain one-way. No entry will be allowed onto Sand Street from Highway 1B.
Two-hour maximum parking spaces and 30-minute delivery zones will be allocated along Queen Street, Orange Street, and Sand Street. The Ministry of Transport, Works and Water Resources thanks road users for their feedback and cooperation.
