Westmount Road safety upgrades approved ahead of new hospital

Plans to improve safety and traffic flow on Westmount Road have been unanimously approved by St Helier’s roads committee as part of preparations linked to Jersey’s future hospital site.

The route is expected to become a key access road for ambulances travelling to and from the new hospital, prompting proposals aimed at making the steep and narrow stretch safer for emergency vehicles, buses and motorists.

Among the planned changes are automatic warning signals near the road’s sharp hairpin bend, designed to encourage drivers to slow down and give larger vehicles space to pass safely.

The bend itself will also be widened to improve visibility and make it easier for vehicles travelling in opposite directions to pass one another.

Under the new arrangements, vehicles travelling uphill will be given priority over traffic heading downhill.

Emergency vehicles and buses will also be fitted with technology capable of triggering traffic signals, temporarily stopping other motorists to allow them through more easily.

Committee members backed the proposals unanimously, although additional permissions and approvals will still be required before the scheme can move forward fully.