Frustrated Linden motorists call for better traffic control during peak hours at the Wismar-Mackenzie bridge

By Abiola Archer

With the start of the new school term, motorists are forced to wait in long lines of traffic as they commute to and from work and transport children to and from school, during peak hours. This has heightened calls for the construction of a new bridge as soon as possible, as the single lane bridge significantly slows down the flow of traffic between Mackenzie and Wismar. In addition, motorists are calling for better monitoring of the traffic to ensure a smoother flow, despite these limitations.  Traffic ranks are present daily controlling the traffic from both sides of the bridge and the other areas leading to the bridge, however, they seem to experience difficulty in effectively controlling the traffic. The long wait results in children, teachers and other employees reaching to their destinations late.

 Another measure proposed by motorists is to rehabilitate the by-pass road leading from the Washerpond Road to Watooka, so that motorists not going to Wismar, do not have to endure the long lines. The road was made accessible during the period when the Washer Pond road was being rehabilitated.

One of the drivers that spoke to  INFO 10, who transports children to school said, “I make two trips on a daily basis because of the amount of children I have to take to school but on my second trip I only pick up from the West Watooka area because of the traffic in the mornings, I don’t go further than West Watooka because I won’t make it back over the bridge to get those children to school on time.”

“No matter how early you leave, you are stuck in the traffic for sometimes two hours, it is fatiguing and frustrating, something really needs to be done about it, children reach to school late every day. By the time they reach, one period already over,” a frustrated parent related.

There has been a significant increase in vehicles in the mining town and to facilitate this increase, there needs to be wider roads and a two-lane bridge. During his recent visit to Linden, Vice President Bharrat Jadgeo, had promised that with the construction of the Linden to Mabura road, a new bridge is on the cards.