Major roads in Mauritius
The trunk road network in Mauritius consists of three trunk roads M1, M2 and M3.
The trunk roads are the backbone of road traffic in Mauritius ( rail traffic in Mauritius no longer exists). The M1 and M2 connect Grand Baie in the north with the capital Port Louis and the airport to Mahébourg in the south of the island. The M1 in the south is 47 km long, the M2 in the north is 23 km long. With the M3, a connection between north and south has been added, which bypasses the greater Port Louis area on a large scale.
Expansion status
The trunk roads are consistently two-lane (2 lanes 3.5 meters wide and a hard shoulder 2 meters wide), but not free of intersections. Instead of motorway exits, a large number of roundabouts form the link with the rest of the road network. During rush hour , the traffic in the main roundabouts around Port Louis is controlled by police officers.
In Port Louis, the trunk road runs as a city motorway . It separates the port from the actual city and is therefore provided with two pedestrian underpasses in the city area. Outside of Port Louis there are pedestrian bridges that allow the road to be crossed safely. The trunk road is used by express buses that connect the main towns on the island. The corresponding stops are on the edge of the trunk road.
history
The first step in the 1970s was a 29 km long trunk road between Pamplemousses in the north, Port Louis and Phoenix in the interior. The continuation of the trunk road to the south was divided into four construction phases. In 1988 the first two construction phases were completed. Now the trunk road went to La Vigie-Nouvelle France. In 1990 the construction phases up to the airport and Mahébourg followed.
In 2013, the 26 km long M3 was completed, which bypasses the greater Port Louis area.
Highway management
The Ministry of Public Infrastructure, National Development Unit, Land Transport & Shipping is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the highways.