A3 road guide: Kingston Half Way Tree to Port Maria, St. Mary

A drive from Kingston’s Half Way Tree area to Port Maria in St. Mary along the A3 covers about 62 kilometres, or roughly 38.5 miles, and takes around one hour and 37 minutes under typical conditions.

The route begins in the heart of Half Way Tree, St. Andrew, near the Half Way Tree Clock Tower, heading on Hagley Park Road toward Eastwood Park Road. At the junction of Hagley Park Road, Maxfield Avenue and Eastwood Park Road, Hagley Park continues toward Three Miles and downtown Kingston, Maxfield Avenue lies to one side, and Eastwood Park Road leads onto the A3. Nearby are the Half Way Tree transport centre and a St. Mary taxi stand.

From there the A3 runs along Eastwood Park Road onto Constant Spring Road, past the Constant Spring Police Station and through Manor Park. Old Stony Hill Road appears on the left before the roadway becomes Long Lane, then Stony Hill Road through Stony Hill and Stony Hill Square, continuing into Golden Spring.

Further north the A3 follows the Temple Hall main road and Junction main road through Brandon Hill and Tom’s River. At Tom’s River the route crosses from St. Andrew into St. Mary on the Broadgate to Tom’s River Road, still part of the Junction main road corridor, then passes Golden Valley and Castleton. Castleton Botanical Gardens and Castleton Police Station stand along this stretch.

Beyond Castleton the road reaches areas including Friendship Gap, Devon Pen — where it crosses a river — Mason Yard, Broadgate and Georgia Plains. A side road toward Scotts Hall Maroon Town crosses the Wagwater River and can serve as a bypass toward Port Maria via Richmond and Highgate when the Junction main road is blocked. Near West Milan Bridge there is access toward Highgate, Richmond and Port Maria. At the Robert Schuman roundabout, one exit leads toward Annotto Bay and into Portland Parish for Orange Bay, Hope Bay, Buff Bay and nearby points; the Port Maria exit continues on the A3 toward Martin’s along the Northern Coastal Highway, again crossing the Wagwater River.

Through Orange Hill, Rose End, Water Valley, Albany and Martin’s, the highway continues as the Martin’s to Ballard’s Valley Road, then Ballard’s Valley to Trinity Road. Side roads link toward Highgate, Richmond, Heywood Hall and Georgia Plains. Near Ballard’s Valley, Buccaneers Jerk Center houses Nutsford Express Port Maria.

Entering Trinity and Port Maria, a roadside sign marks the town. Landmarks include the Port Maria Police Station, Port Maria Hospital, the Port Maria Clock Tower, the tax office, post office, an Island Traffic Authority examination depot, the Horace Clarke Arcade with the Port Maria transport centre, Cabarita Island, the courthouse and Pagee Beach. Continuing on the Northern Coastal Highway leads toward Galina, Oracabessa and Boscobel — including Ian Fleming International Airport — and onward into St. Ann toward Ocho Rios. Local turns off main street include Clements Avenue, Warner Lane and Warner Street.