By The Star Staff
A special road plan will be activated on Friday to facilitate traffic on the main access roads to Isla Grande due to the simultaneous operations of the Norwegian Viva homeport and Caribbean Ferries at the Pan American I and II docks, respectively, as well as Crowley’s cargo operations, Puerto Rico Ports Authority (PRPA) Executive Director Joel A. Pizá Batiz announced on Wednesday.
Pizá Batiz said the plan designates the use of Miraflores Street (Pier 15), Guaraca and Guamaní as the exclusive route for entry and exit of the Crowley company’s towing vehicles, alleviating vehicular congestion on Baldorioty de Castro Boulevard and the Abarca marginal (Central Park). Employees of the PRPA, users of the Isla Grande Airport and the staff of the community of companies that operate from that area will have at their disposal normal access to their work areas through Lindbergh Street, prior to 10 a.m. After that time, the special road plan will go into effect through checkpoints run by the Puerto Rico Police Bureau.
“The established logistics will have checkpoints to direct the vehicles to the respective facilities on Isla Grande,” Pizá Batiz said. “This action will allow taxi drivers, transporters, Ubers, concessionaires and employees of the Pan American docks, duly identified, to access Lindbergh Street directly, heading to Muelle Street. It also provides for Crowley’s operations to run in the best possible way, by providing them with an exclusive avenue.”
The Ports chief noted that originally the Norwegian Viva was to arrive at the port of San Juan at 8 a.m., but due to changes in the cruise line itself it will arrive at noon instead. For this reason, he urged people who will board Norwegian Viva to “reschedule their arrival at the Pan American I pier, since boarding will begin after 1:30 p.m., after concluding the disembarkation of passengers who completed their cruise.”
Pizá Batiz added that the Pan American docks were built decades ago with a single entrance and exit road, which requires that various measures must be taken to address a volume of operations that far exceeds the past volume of passengers, luggage and other dynamics.