Minister defends St John's Road changes as work begins ahead of one-way trial closure

The one-way trial was originally due to begin in August 2023, but has been postponed twice and will now begin in December. Credit: Government of Jersey

Jersey's Infrastructure Minister has defended plans to make part of a busy road in and out of St Helier one-way from next month, saying it is necessary to improve road safety.

Proposals to close the lower end of St John's Road to southbound traffic and redirect it down Parade Road were announced jointly by the government and Parish of St Helier in June 2023, as part of a three-month trial.

That was originally due to start at the end of August but was pushed back following backlash from islanders.

It was then said to take place in the October half-term, but the work was again delayed until December.

The lower end of St John's Road would be made one-way northbound, with southbound traffic sent down Parade Road. Credit: Government of Jersey

A petition calling for the plans to be "thrown out" has now been signed more than 1,000 times, leading to an official response from the Infrastructure Minister.

Deputy Tom Binet said: "The purpose of the trial is to gather data on how the experimental road layout affects the movement of people through the area using all modes of transport.

"It will also monitor changes to air quality and record the views of residents in the area through a programme of active community engagement to understand how this road layout is received."

The Minister said the first community survey took place between Monday 9 October and Sunday 29 October, with both "supportive and critical views" expressed by residents.

He continued: "The trial will enable the collection of factual data that will provide for an evidence-based conclusion to be reached about whether the benefits of the scheme outweigh the drawbacks and, therefore, whether it should be made permanent."

Alterations to the road layout are due to take place between Monday 20 November and Friday 1 December, with the trial running from Monday 4 December 2023 until Friday 1 March 2024.

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