Weekend traffic snarls not due to demonstrators

Here, there and everywhere

Accidents, and road repair led to traffic jams in many sectors of the city on Monday, but motorists also suffered on a “quiet” weekend.

One of the Monday “accidents” was on the viaduct at Paitilla, where earlier in the year a taxi flipped over the rail. The posted speed limit is 30km, but traffic exiting the Cinta Costera Speedway, and coming from Via Israel, including dump trucks and other commercial vehicles is usually doing 60 km or more, often with cell phone wielding drivers behind the wheel.

 Traffic was slowed down on Saturday because of the closure of parts of the Cinta Costera. On Sunday it was worse with hundreds of drivers circling around for alternative routes with the Cinta Costera and Avenida Balboa closed. Not a diversion or alternative route sign to be seen, and when¨´ residents of Paitilla and Punta Pacific tried to get out of their enclaves, they were turned back by orange cones, and ATTT police who, when asked for alternative routes pointed back in the direction from which the drivers had come.
Some drivers complained of having taken over an hour to travel from the Sheraton Hotel in San Francisco to Paitilla Hospital, but were then unable to exit the ramp.
Parking lots in front of stores near Arrocha and Novey, and nearby plazas were empty.
The cause: a bicycle race. Not an anti government demonstrator in sight.

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