By Aabigayle McIntosh

Officers from the Traffic Department will have their hands full for the remainder of the week as the 2023 Carnival festivities get into high gear.

Traffic in and around St Johns will be restricted from Thursday into Sunday beginning with the official opening of Carnival on Thursday and the opening parade, T-shirt Mas on July 29^th, and other activities.

The traffic management plan will include single-lane traffic in some areas.

Head of the Traffic Department Superintendent Elson Quammie said single-lane traffic will be in effect on Independence Avenue for the opening Day parade on Thursday.

“We will utilize one side of the road stretching from the old House of Culture right down on Independence Drive adjacent to the Ministry of Agriculture Headquarters. On one side of Queen Elizabeth Highway the parade will move off from there down to Redcliffe Street, Cross Thames Street, and up High Street”, Quammie said.

He also stated that drivers will have up to 1 p Thursday to clear the parade route or have their vehicles towed.

The senior officer also shared the route for T-shirt mas which moves off from the T.N Kirnon school.

“Up Old Parham Road, right on St Johnson’s village main road, right unto Factory Road, left onto Parliament Drive, right onto Queen Elizabeth Highway, right on Independence Drive, left on Redcliffe Street, right onto Thames Street, right onto High Street.

The next parade is Junior Carnival/Junior Calypso which takes place on Sunday, June 30^th.

The assembly point is the King George Grounds, and then move up Market Street, left onto Redcliffe Street, right on Thames Street, right onto High Street, left onto Independence Drive, right onto Old Parham Road, and right onto Coronation Road into the historic Antigua Recreations Ground.