Surprise! West Bay Road closed

Monday’s debut of the Esterley Tibbetts Highway extension wasn’t a cure for morning gridlock, as many commuters discovered on the spot that West Bay Road had simultaneously been closed to through traffic. 

While the new divided four-lane highway was opened from Yacht Drive to Raleigh Quay, continuing work and diversions at the Yacht Drive connection caused cars to back up along West Bay Road to the north, past the four-way stop. To the south, the new Governors Way access is also not finished, so drivers heading to West Bay had to get off West Bay Road on Lime Tree Bay Avenue. West Bay Road remained open to local traffic headed to Public Beach or Calico Jack’s. 

“Traffic was horrible,” said Markeisha Myles, who lives near the northernmost point of West Bay. 

She said she didn’t know if it was the unfinished Yacht Drive connection that was slowing everyone down, or if drivers were stopping to gawk at the new roadwork. 

“When you got to where the new road has opened, people didn’t know where to go, and were confused,” Ms Myles said. 

She left her home at about 8.15am and arrived at her office on North Church Street at about 9am. 

Not everyone, however, was displeased about Monday’s traffic. 

Batabano area resident Audry Ebanks said her commute was “fantastic” compared to recent weeks. She said Monday’s congestion at the four-way stop was no different than what happens every morning. Ms Ebanks said there was a bit of a bottleneck at the Yacht Drive intersection, but once she got on the highway there was absolutely no traffic. She left her home at about 7.50am and arrived at her office (the same as Ms Myles’) by 8.30am. 

The road closure and highway extension are part of the ForCayman Investment Alliance between the Dart Group and government. The closure of the road will facilitate construction of Dart’s new hotel on the site of the former Courtyard by Marriott. 

To the south of the new hotel, Dart is providing government with an enhanced public beach park area. 

The first major event at the new-look public beach is the North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation 2013 beach circuit opener, which takes place Friday through Sunday, 22-24 March. 

The second phase of the Esterley Tibbetts project will extend the highway to Batabano Road, and also connect to Willie Farrington Drive via a new Reverend Blackman Road extension.  

Ms Ebanks said she can’t wait until the new highway is completed, as it will allow her to drive directly from her house into George Town. 

“People may be complaining now, but in order to get progress you have to have some headaches,” she said. 

“We need more than one way to get out of West Bay,” Ms Ebanks said. 

Last Friday afternoon, 15 March, Dart Realty issued a news release stating that the first phase of the highway extension would open Monday. Friday’s statement made no mention of West Bay Road being closed. After receiving the statement, the Caymanian Compass asked Dart Realty public relations consultant Connie Buchanan if the strip of West Bay Road would remain open. She responded that Friday’s announcement was the “current schedule” as advised by the National Roads Authority, and that they would send an update next week when there are any additional changes. 

The story on Friday’s announcement appeared in Monday’s edition of the Compass. On the back page of the same edition appeared an advertisement with new information on the West Bay Road closure. Monday’s edition of the Compass was distributed Sunday afternoon. 

At 7am Monday, the Compass received a news release from Dart with the same information as the advertisement. According to the new update, Governors Way is scheduled to open in two weeks. 

The file properties of Friday’s statement and Monday’s statement indicate they were created the afternoon of Wednesday, 13 March, within minutes of one another. 

On Wednesday, Cabinet ministers officially opened the first phase of the highway extension as a public road, and discontinued the corresponding stretch of West Bay Road as a public road, according to procedures set on in the Roads Law. 

As of press time Monday, neither Dart nor the Roads Authority had responded to the Compass’ question why information about the road closure was not included in Friday’s news release.