AMT identifies Quito traffic trouble spots ahead of school return

Quito's return to school on Sept. 1 will bring heavier traffic to roads already affected by construction. The Metropolitan Transit Agency, known as AMT, has identified several areas where officers will focus special controls.

The agency listed the Panamericana Norte, El Condado, and the avenues Mariscal Sucre, 6 de Diciembre, Granados, Río Coca and Shyris among the main trouble spots. The El Trébol roundabout and Velasco Ibarra Avenue are also included, along with Quitumbe and Pedro Bustamante Street, where Morán Valverde and Pedro Vicente Maldonado avenues meet.

AMT Director General Washington Martínez said the mobility plan covers 419 educational institutions. Of those, 88 require special operations because of conditions around their access points or parking areas. The controls aim to organize traffic around schools as students return.

Construction will add pressure in northern Quito. Work on the central lanes of the Panamericana Norte is entering a new phase, while both contraflow lanes will operate during the next stage to help vehicles move. AMT said the inbound traffic buildup from northern Ecuador currently extends no more than 700 meters, and the section from the curve near the Calderón UPC has full pavement.

Rehabilitation of Galo Plaza Lasso Avenue is also changing traffic patterns. Work is progressing south to north between De los Arupos Street and the Carcelén bus terminal, with special measures planned over the next three months. A contraflow lane is operating on the north-south carriageway. Public buses are using an alternate route through De los Pinos, 6 de Diciembre, De los Fresnos and Eloy Alfaro before returning toward northern Quito or the terminal. AMT is coordinating in El Condado with the National Police, which oversees the stretch from Mitad del Mundo to the El Condado roundabout.

“

The mobility plan covers 419 educational institutions.