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A controversial project to introduce a one-way system on the lower part of St John’s Road has been turned on its head – reversing the direction of the proposed one-way system.
Announced last summer, the initial trial was supposed to make the narrow lower section of St John’s Road in St Helier one-way in a northbound direction – away from Cheapside.
However, upon entering government, new Infrastructure Minister Andy Jehan asked the transport team to review alternative options earlier this year.
Constable Jehan has now considered the review and today announced plans to proceed with a trial of southbound only traffic on the lower part of St John’s Road.
This will impact the section of the road between the Parade Road junction and Cheapside.
Pictured: Infrastructure Minister Andy Jehan today announced plans to proceed with a trial of southbound only traffic on the lower section of St John’s Road.
The intention is to introduce the traffic management measure during the summer half term.
More details of the exact arrangements will be released nearer the time.
The original northbound scheme was supposed to be in place for a three-month trial last summer, but it was delayed three times following public pushback and supply and apparent supply and labour issues.
A petition opposing the scheme received more than 1,000 signatures, prompting a ministerial response.
Then-Infrastructure Minister Tom Binet said the scheme would help "provide a safer and more liveable urban environment".
He added: "This is only a three-month trial and is necessary to collect factual data on which decisions about future road safety improvements will be based."
At the time, Deputy Binet said that he, along with St Helier Constable Simon Crowcroft and the St Helier Roads Committee, were committed to the trial as it "would provide an opportunity to improve and widen footpaths and reduce some local traffic".
Pictured: The original plans for the scheme, which were scrapped in February.
In November, the government said that the trial would start on Monday 4 December and gave dates for temporary road closures, when the scheme was due to be installed.
Days later, the scheme was postponed again until the start of the new year, with no exact date set. This was said to be due to "unforeseen supply and labour issues".
Express later learnt that one of the problems was that £5,000 had been spent on ramps that did not meet the legal requirements for Jersey roads.
Emails released in response to an FOI request show that following the discovery of the non-compliant ramps in October, the scheme was postponed by two weeks and the Communications team alerted – but this new delay was never communicated to the public or media.
Following a change in Government leadership at the start of 2024, new Infrastructure Minister Andy Jehan shelved the original St John's Road plans, saying the department would look at "a different approach" for the scheme.
This new approach, the government has now said, will involve reversing the one-way scheme.
The new trial will see the lower end of St John's Road become one-way for southbound cars between Parade Road and Cheapside.
It is due to start in half-term between Tuesday 28 May and Friday 31 May.
Plans to make the lower section of St John's Road one-way were first announced on Monday 26 June. It was at the time scheduled to be in place by the start of autumn term.
Before the end of June, a senior transport planner shared his concerns about the scheme in a leaflet sent to residents, and an e-petition opposing the scheme was launched.
Following the criticism, on Friday 4 August, the trial was postponed to after October half-term.
On Thursday 19 October 2023, the scheme was postponed after government staff flagged that the ramps ordered were not up to Jersey's legal requirements. In emails, they said they had notified the Communications team and the Parish of St Helier – however, the delay was never communicated.
The scheme did not start after October half-term.
On Wednesday 15 November, Infrastructure Minister Tom Binet responded to the petition, saying the scheme was just a three-month trial and would serve to gather data, and 4 December was cited as a start date.
On Tuesday 28 November, the Government issued an update, complete with maps of the roadworks, saying that the trial would start next Monday 4 December and gave dates for temporary road closures, when the scheme was due to be installed.
Days later, the scheme was postponed again until the start of the new year, with no exact date set. This was said to be due to "unforeseen supply and labour issues". It emerged later that one of the issues was that £5,000 had been spent on ramps that did not meet the legal requirements for Jersey roads.
On Wednesday 21 February, new Infrastructure Minister Andy Jehan said he would ask officers to review the scheme.
Today, Tuesday 2 April, a new version of the scheme was announced, which would make the road one-way, southbound only.
Pictured top: A rendition of what the original scheme might have looked like.
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