NATIONAL ROAD SAFETY COUNCIL AND JAMAICA AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION OKAY NORTH-SOUTH HIGHWAY GRADIENT

Photo by Dr Lucien Jones – Vice-Chair, National Road Safety Council

Kingston, Jamaica – August 22, 2014: Following complaints by road users regarding the eight per cent gradient along a five kilometre section of the recently opened North-South Highway, representatives of the National Road Safety Council (NRSC) and the Jamaica Automobile Association (JAA) travelled the highway on August 21, 2014 and found no major fault with it. They are satisfied that the slope is safe and comfortable for travelling.

According to Dr Lucien Jones, Vice Chairman of NRSC, based on their assessment, motorists with well-serviced vehicles should have no problems travelling along the new highway.  

"We can assure the public that the highway is a good addition to our road network. We recommend the road in terms of safety and quick passage to and from the Moneague area," Dr Jones said.

"We found the eight per cent gradient over five kilometres quite easy to navigate, but also appreciate that vehicles which are not roadworthy may be challenged. The road is no worse than that when driving up Spur Tree or Winston Jones Highway as both have steeper gradients than the North-South Highway," Dr Jones added.

Dr Jones further stated that the NRSC is in agreement with the speed limit of 80 KPH of the gradient along the highway. "The matter of the speed limit of 80 kilometres per hour is quite understandable, given the many curves and steep nature of the road. Going at 110 KPH as per the East West segment, would likely result in more crashes," he said. "The continuous concrete median, which is also a feature of the new highway, should prove a great help in reducing fatal crashes. We were also very impressed with the new technologies employed to prevent land slippage and to accommodate the building of a major road on the difficult terrain. We look forward to the construction and opening of the other two legs of the North-South Highway."

Also present during the tour was Duane Ellis, General Manager of the JAA. He too said the JAA found no major fault with the North-South Highway. "It is a tremendous benefit for road users, because it really does cut the travelling time. If we use it correctly, we will have a lot of happy travellers on that road," he commented.

He said he is encouraging motorists not to speed on the North-South Highway: "At reduced speeds this road will take us on the other side significantly shorter. I drove it at 50 kilometres per hour and it took me half the time it would have taken me to drive through Mount Rosser, so there is no need to speed on it."

Damian Anderson, Engineer from China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) – the company responsible for the completion of the North-South Highway, who guided the tour, pointed out that the highway has several safety features. "There is a 'climbing lane' on the left for slow vehicles and for those who need to manoeuvre," he explained. "Motorists who are not accustomed to this new highway should use the 'climbing lane' when going up the slope. When going down the slope, in the event that you having a problem braking or slowing down, there are two 'escape lanes' with gravel-filled 'arrester beds' to help bring your vehicle to a safe stop."

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For more information, contact:

Ainsworth Morris, PROComm, Tel: 9266740 or 3756136