John Culatto
AUTHORITIES will open a third northbound lane to the frontier along Kingsway on days when queues are very long, the government said.
The third lane will allow access to the airport, Eroski and Four Corners for local residents, taxis and emergency vehicles and alleviate queues along Devil’s Tower Road.
It followed the traffic jams on the May Day bank holiday weekend which stretched along Devil’s Tower Road all the way to the Sundial Roundabout.
The move will allow Spain-destined cars to occupy both normal northbound lanes along Kingsway.
There are three stages to the government plan to increase traffic flow along Devil’s Tower Road.
The first is to separate the two lanes along Kingsway into frontier-bound traffic and that which is going to the airport, supermarket, Western Beach and the military base.
Authorities will allow vehicles to queue up inside the tunnel in stage one.
The second stage of the plan if the frontier queue builds up even more is to allow both lanes to be occupied by frontier traffic.
One of the lanes on the southbound Kingsway route will be redirected for northbound traffic to reach the destinations around the airport.
In this stage traffic will be batched through the tunnel and will not be allowed to queue inside it.
The third stage involves creating a single lane down Devil’s Tower Road for frontier traffic in addition to second stage traffic flow.
These plans make sure that traffic can flow easily and safely around the Rock.
But the government pointed out that it hopes the new EU treaty will stop all delays if it can be signed.
“It is worth noting that a treaty between the United Kingdom and the European Union on the future relationship of Gibraltar would eliminate those delays and tailbacks entirely by eliminating the controls that create them,” the government added.
“This remains the preferred option of the Government.
ALSO READ:
- Gibraltar frontier users will have ‘several hours’ delay without an EU treaty, government warns
- WATCH: Traffic starts to flow through Gibraltar’s new runway tunnel route to the frontier, named Kingsway
- Gibraltar deputy leader talks with UK Europe minister about ‘alternative’ plans to EU deal
