Why a Pedestrian Crossing at the Foot of the New Haulover Bridge?

Since being opened to vehicular traffic a few weeks ago, motorists traversing the new Haulover Bridge have reportedly been speeding.  We have, at least on one occasion, also reported of an accident that took place recently at the approach to the structure.  To reducing speeding, the contractors have built a pedestrian ramp on one end of the bridge.  A few questions have been raised regarding that construction, considering the fact that motorists view the pedestrian ramp as unnecessary since its location is not in a residential area.  Chief Engineer Evondale Moody explains the reason for the crossing.

 

Evondale Moody, Chief Engineer, MIDH

“The pedestrian crossing is basically a pedestrian ramp to slow down traffic because, as you can see, even with those pedestrian ramps that we have there, as soon as the vehicles leave the roundabout they’re speeding up and that is what has created a couple accidents in the past few weeks because people are speeding across the bridge.  That will take some education and I believe we will have to start from the primary school because, based on our experience, it’s hard to educate the adults now because they are still speeding.  No matter what we do, we do the advertisements, we do the public awareness, they’re still speeding and this is only, as I said, five hundred and twenty-eight meters and they pick up speed as soon as they leave the roundabout.  So I think it’s just education and we have to continue to push that.”