Antigua and Barbuda’s law enforcement leadership has formally unveiled a targeted traffic restriction framework tailored to the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), set to run November 1 through 4, to secure event activities at the American University of Antigua (AUA) while minimizing disruptions for local residents and commuters.
The details of the traffic management plan were shared publicly by Superintendent Elson Kwame during an official CHOGM community town hall convened in St. Paul’s on Tuesday, October 27, to keep local stakeholders informed ahead of the high-profile international gathering. Kwame confirmed that the only full road closure affecting the AUA vicinity will be Jabberwock Main Road, which will be off-limits to regular civilian traffic for the full four-day duration of the summit. The AUA campus has been designated a primary event hub for CHOGM’s two flagship public-facing side events: the Women’s Forum and the People’s Forum, which will host hundreds of pre-accredited delegates, civil society representatives, and invited guests from across the 56-nation Commonwealth bloc.
To prevent unnecessary gridlock for local commuters, Kwame highlighted three clearly marked alternative routes that will remain fully open to regular traffic: Country Club Road, Royal Gardens Road, and Thibou’s Road, all of which connect seamlessly to surrounding neighborhood streets and major regional thoroughfares. The superintendent emphasized that the targeted Jabberwock Main Road closure does not represent a broader restriction on all roadways in the AUA catchment area, and that full access to nearby homes, small businesses, and community amenities will be preserved for local residents for the full length of the summit.
To support smooth traffic flow, uniformed traffic officers will be deployed to all key intersections and junctions in the event vicinity, where they will provide real-time guidance to drivers, coordinate the safe passage of official dignitary motorcades, and resolve any minor traffic disruptions quickly. Kwame issued a practical advisory for all motorists traveling across the island during CHOGM: when emergency sirens associated with official convoys are detected, drivers should pull over to the left edge of the roadway to allow visiting Commonwealth leaders, cabinet ministers, and diplomatic delegates to pass unimpeded before resuming their travel.
The Jabberwock Main Road restriction is one component of a far broader, multi-venue security operation that covers additional CHOGM host sites across Antigua, including the National Performing Arts Centre in St. John’s and designated event spaces in English Harbour. Kwame explicitly reassured the public that standard, full police services will continue to operate normally across every part of Antigua and Barbuda for the entire duration of the summit, with no reduction in community policing, emergency response, or routine law enforcement support.
Separately, Foreign Affairs Minister E.P. Chet Greene addressed widespread local rumors of a potential nationwide lockdown tied to CHOGM, categorically confirming that no island-wide movement restrictions will be implemented. All security and traffic rules, he noted, will be geographically targeted exclusively to the immediate perimeters of official CHOGM venues, to deliver robust protection for international attendees without imposing unnecessary burdens on local communities.
Jabberwock Main Road to close during CHOGM, police announce alternative routes
