Kingston Jamaica, September 8, 2021 – The Toll Authority is reporting that for the period April 1, 2021 – June 30, 2021, it monitored the structural condition of infrastructure along the roadways, inspected employee safety practices, traffic control management and safety in the public domain as well as reviewed the effectiveness of general safety systems and equipment for each leg of the toll road.

For the quarter ending June 30, 2021, the Toll Authority inspected approximately 114 kilometres of roadway, identifying issues related to the damage and theft of perimeter fencing, dilapidated road markings and studs, the lack of adequate management of green areas and the visibility of traffic signs.

Over the period, all toll plazas saw an increase in traffic when compared to the similar period last year. There were 51 accidents along the East-West corridor which resulted in 6 fatalities; while there were 56 accidents and 1 fatality along the North-South Leg of the Highway. The flow of traffic generally remained good along both the East-West and North-South thoroughfares.

The installation of new lane markings as well as the painting of the Hunts Bay Bridge was completed along the East-West thoroughfare. However, along same, road markings, traffic signs as well as road studs at several locations were in a poor condition which made them difficult to be seen due to poor retro reflectance.

Reviews of two out of four Escape Ramps along the North-South Leg were completed. All outstanding items were rectified and this facility is now in line with the relevant international standards. Routine inspections revealed that several traffic signs along the North-South Leg were visually obscured due to overgrown vegetation, the lighting at all Escape Ramps were inadequate and also, there were challenges with road markings and road studs similar to those described for the East West Leg.

The Authority remains in dialogue with the operators to resolve all outstanding issues within a reasonable time frame and will update the public accordingly.

The Toll Authority, an agency of the Ministry of Transport and Mining, is tasked with regulating the operations and maintenance of the toll roads and other facilities as deemed necessary, on or adjacent to the toll road network.