Mauritius: A Public Relations exercise with tenants and stakeholders of Ebène Cybercity in view of the construction of the new interchange along the M3-A14 corridor (Flyover Ebène project) was held on Tuesday, 21 March 2023, at the Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Tower in Ebène.
The purpose of this exercise was to discuss the changes that would result from the construction works, which, once completed, are expected to make traffic flow more fluid in that part of Mauritius.
The Minister of National Infrastructure and Community Development, Mr Mahendranuth Sharma Hurreeram, and other personalities were also present.
The Ebène Flyover project, currently being undertaken by the Road Development Authority (RDA), has as its objectives to: Improve traffic flow along M1 and M3 motorway and at Ebène Cybercity roundabout; Eliminate bottleneck on the A14 Road; Decrease the travel time for incoming traffic in the Ebène region and; Contribute to boost economic development in that region by providing better connectivity.
In his address, Minister Hurreeram indicated that in the 20 years of its existence, Ebène had undergone a considerable urban expansion with major developments around Cybercity. This, he underlined, has resulted in much denser traffic and, therefore, traffic congestion. “There is thus a need to solve the issue of access to and from Ebène, especially during peak hours,” he pointed out.
On this score, Minister Hurreeram outlined the proposals made by the RDA, including: the conversion of the Flyover from the M3 towards Ebène into a triple carriageway (three lanes in both directions), bypassing the roundabout to lead directly to the A14 road that leads to Rose Hill; construction of Slip lanes to facilitate exits inside and outside of Ebène onto the Flyover, and also along the M1 and; construction of a bell shape roundabout at the junction with the M3.
These measures, the Minister stressed, will solve good traffic problems in this part of the island. He also indicated that work has already started, and as progress is made, certain inconveniences will definitely be generated. “In this context, a diversion plan for every step of the project will be explained and communicated as and when required,” the Minister added.
Mr Hurreeram further reiterated the Government’s commitment to solving traffic congestion in the toughest parts of the island and building new roads and bridges everywhere that is required. On this note, he urged the stakeholders present to gather as much information as possible to help achieve this objective.
It is recalled that the existing road network at Ebène, including the Ebène Flyover, was constructed in the year 2002 to 2004 in the context of the Ebène Cybercity development. The rapid development within the central part of the island, namely at Ebène, Réduit, Moka and Highlands, has caused saturation of the existing road network.
During morning peak hours, it is observed that Motorway M3 (southbound) is severely congested due to the single-lane traffic on the existing Ebène Flyover across Motorway M1 for traffic going to Ebène. In the afternoon, the A14 road is congested with traffic going towards M3.