By Caribbean News Global contributor
BOIS D’ORANGE, Gros Islet – Following motorists’ observations and public examination, deputy chief engineer Len Leon gave insights on the newly constructed Bois d’Orange mini roundabout.
“It is not to be used as a roundabout to return to Castries,” Leon, said: “If you are heading to Gros Islet, it is there to manage that junction, allowing vehicles to turn into the S&S Plaza as well as to enter onto the highway.”
“ That is the general concept for which it was developed,” the deputy chief engineer explained: “I believe that with more education, videos, etc., and the assistance of the media, we can educate our people. Every driver who passed their driving exams is and should be aware of the road signs and regulations governing the use of the road(s).
The deputy chief engineer further offered his opinion, stating, “There shouldn’t be any excuse, in my opinion, because we all passed our driving test and we know what we should be doing on the road.”
‘We pay a heavy price for our lack of foresight and vision’
An excerpt for ‘Benefits of road expansion project Friday, August 14, 2015, by Office of the Prime Minister, notes:
“We pay a heavy price for our lack of foresight and vision. In nearly everything we do, we engage in partial, often half-baked solutions. The instance of this transport corridor is just one such example. In the first instance, when the highway was built in the 70s, insufficient right-of-way width was acquired. And over the decades, we have witnessed development after development, narrowing and constricting the free land available for road widening.” Read more here.
Caribbean News Global (CNG) editorial presented the following.
Coming from a long Easter weekend, the mini roundabout on the Gros-Islet dual carriageway – best suited for neighbourhoods/residential streets and intended to keep traffic at low speeds, caught the attention of motorists and passengers.
Markings, lane width and turning radius are vital in traffic circles. Ideally, the location of a mini roundabout is mainly at inconsequential and uncontrolled intersections with simple markings providing roughly 15 feet of clearance in the circle. A mini-roundabout contributes to curb appeal – beautifying the street and surrounding neighbourhoods.
In less than 30 days, the mini-roundabout has attained multiple distinctions in conjunction with a neighbourhood attraction of shared road markings and intersectional improvements; and a spectacular roadshow of vehicle prototypes.
The mini-roundabout craves more interpretation and information not disclosed. It warrants an explanation of what has become suitable for sightseeing in a high-volume transportation corridor.
