When Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas and Carnival Cruise Lines’ Dream make their debut calls at St. Thomas Dec. 8, local drivers will face a number of traffic-related challenges.
New traffic patterns, announced Tuesday at a press conference held by a coalition of government agencies at the Austin “Babe” Monsanto Marine Terminal, hope to keep congestion to a minimum.
With 15,000 cruise ship passengers scheduled for Tuesday, the Department of Public Works will initiate new traffic patterns in the Sub Base-Crown Bay areas. In addition, the V.I. Taxicab Commission has also instituted drop-off and pick-up points at both ends of downtown.
Designed to flow taxicab traffic out of Crown Bay and into downtown or to beaches, the new traffic pattern creates a loop. The pattern will be instituted as needed, based on cruise ship passenger numbers, but especially every Tuesday when the Oasis of the Seas is in port.
The largest changes to traffic are to Route 304—which carries traffic between Crown Bay Marina and the “Y” intersection across from Bellows International— which will become one-way eastbound for both of its lanes. Traffic leaving the Monsanto Marine terminal, as well as that leaving Crown Bay Marina and other destinations in the area will be routed downtown using both of Route 304’s lanes. (For detailed maps of the traffic plan, download the following four PDFs: CROWN BAY DETOUR Model 1, CROWN BAY DETOUR Model 2, Crown Bay, and WICO.)
Traffic approaching Sub Base and Crown Bay from downtown will take Route 30, Moravian Highway, to the entrance to Cyril E. King Airport, turn left and then turn left again and follow the road that passes by the V. I. Water and Power Authority’s plant to head back toward Crown Bay.
Drivers headed for Doctor’s Choice Pharmacy, Pueblo, John’s Auto Center or the Bureau of Motor Vehicles will have to approach from either Crown Bay or Nisky Center and later turn eastward, toward downtown as they exit.
Drivers coming down Scott Free will also have to use the route via WAPA’s plant, as they will not be able to turn right going down the hill after passing Nisky Center.
Traffic coming from the Crowley container yard will also be limited to right turns only toward downtown.
Public Works Commissioner Darryl Smalls, along with a coalition of agency heads developed the traffic plan to accommodate the increase in volume when large numbers of cruise passengers are visiting. The plan is still being studied, he said, and the coalition will consider comments.
Smalls’ department is working feverishly to improve sidewalks both toward downtown and toward the nearest beaches at Lindbergh Bay.
“We anticipate a lot of folks walking,” Smalls said.
Passengers who choose to walk will be aided by signage indicating the number of minutes to their destinations.
The department is also studying the possibility of water transport to downtown from the cruise ships.
However, Smalls said, “The feasibility is not there right now.”
The new vehicle traffic pattern will go into test mode on Saturday, and again on Monday, before going live Tuesday. The pattern will go into effect between 7 and 8 a.m.
Taxis will have two designated pick-up/drop-off points downtown, another move to alleviate traffic on days with large numbers of passengers. This creates another loop downtown.
All taxi vehicles must make a left on Guttets Gade (between First Bank and Pizza Hut), Taxi Cab Commission Executive Director Judith Wheatley said at the press conference.
This will route the taxis left again onto westbound Dronningens Gade (Main Street) and back in the direction of Crown Bay.
On the eastern end of downtown, taxi traffic from Havensight and the WICO dock will turn right on Tolbod Gade, right again along Emancipation Garden and right again passing the fire station on the left before turning left back toward the WICO dock.
Wheatley also said that Store Tvaer Gade would be closed to large vehicle traffic between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on days when the new traffic pattern is employed. The closure is designed to protect pedestrians on the narrow street from being struck by side mirrors on oversized vehicles.