Trial road closure put on hold

Trial road closure put on hold

The closure was arranged in order to assess the impact on traffic of the proposed merger of the two squares to mark the 75th anniversary of the Liberation next year.

The plans have proved controversial, with many Islanders and business leaders raising concerns about the impact on traffic and businesses in the area.

The decision to postpone the trial, which was due to last until Liberation Day, was taken by Infrastructure Minister Kevin Lewis following consultation with Chief Minister John Le Fondré.

It follows negative feedback during a public consultation, in which Islanders raised concern about the cost and design of the project and the impact on traffic.

The minister also considered the fact that, given there are two bank holidays during the next two weeks, the trial’s results would not accurately reflect normal road usage.

Deputy Lewis said: ‘At this moment, I want to reflect on the feedback from the recent public consultation and, because of the timing of the trial, I felt that the results would be inconclusive and not address the wider concerns expressed by the public, if we went ahead today.

‘The Chief Minister has asked my officers and me to review the project in light of those emerging issues. The government has committed to being more inclusive and to listening to the public, and we are doing just that. I will be discussing the next steps with my ministerial colleagues and will present the revised options in due course.

‘The Liberation was the single most significant event in Jersey’s modern history, and I think it is sensible that there is a short pause now so that we commemorate the 75th anniversary in a way that has public agreement.’

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