Major Infrastructure Development in Roads

Following are some major Infrastructure Development in Roads under the People’s Partnership government for the period 2010 – 2015.

Completion of the Aranguez Overpass

Aranguez Overpass

Construction of the Aranguez overpass started on December 21, 2009, and was expected to cost between $170 million and $180 million. The project was undertaken by the National Infrastructural Development Company (Nidco) in conjunction with the Programme for Upgrading Roads Efficiency (Pure). It has been completed at a cost of $161 million. (Guardian)

St. Helena Delta Bridge connecting Kelly Village to Piarco

St. Helena Delta Bridge connecting Kelly Village to Piarco

The St Helena community received an $82.9 million Bypass. The new bypass will ease congestion in the busy village off Piarco, which connects the Borough of Arima and surrounding areas to Caroni. (C-News)

Completed the Churchill-Roosevelt Highway Extension

Churchill-Roosevelt Highway Extension

Constructed  dual carriageway on the Churchill-Roosevelt Highway from O’Meara Road to Demerara Road, Arima. The highway expansion which started under the People’s National Movement (PNM) in 2005 was stalled in 2007.

Third Lane to Uriah Butler Highway

Uriah Butler Highway

Constructed a third lane to the Uriah Butler Highway from Caroni to Chaguanas.

Couva/Preysal Interchange

Couva/Preysal Interchange

Constructed the Couva/Preysal Interchange.

The new Couva/Preysal Interchange was officially opened on April 3, 2014. by the Honourable Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Mrs. Kamla Persad Bissessar .

Persad-Bissessar said the construction of the interchange was significant since “it will upgrade the existing Diamond Interchange” and result in “decreased peak-hour traffic, improve the turning radii for heavy vehicles and increase the capacity at the Couva/Preysal intersection.”

Tarouba Link Road

Tarouba Link Road

Rehabilitated the Tarouba Link Road. The roadway provides a critical link between the San Fernando Bye-pass to the Solomon Hochoy Highway. For more than ten years the Tarouba Link road posed a serious challenge to motorists with its unstable road surface and many land slippages.

For years the dual carriageway was reduced to one lane due to land slippage with barrels placed at the side of the land slippages to prevent motorists from running off the road. (Newsday)

Golconda To Debe Highway

The Golconda to Debe section of the Point Fortin Highway. Facing south.

Construction of the Solomon Hochoy Highway Extension from Golconda to Debe

Completion of the Churchill Roosevelt Highway/Uriah Butler Highway Interchange

Churchill Roosevelt Highway/Uriah Butler Highway Interchange

The Interchange, was first proposed in 2000 by John Humphrey, and was in the 2001 UNC Manifesto for General Election 2001. However the UNC lost the election in 2001 and the PNM shelved the project until 2007 when construction finally began, with a different design to the Golden Arch that Humphrey had originally proposed. (Kevan Gibbs)

Diego Martin Highway project

Diego Martin Highway

This Highway Expansion is designed to alleviate traffic congestion at the entrance to the Diego Martin area by the construction of two extra lanes, northbound. In addition to this, plans are in development for further road and highway improvements extending as far North as the Diego Martin Main Road at Bagatelle.

Valencia Bypass Road

Valencia Bypass Road

The new Valencia Bypass Road was officially opened on Friday November 28, 2014 by the Honourable Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Mrs. Kamla Persad Bissessar and the Minister of Works and Infrastructure the Honourable Dr. Suruj Rambachan.

The road is expected to assist in eliminating traffic at the Valencia junction, a nuisance that has plagued motorists travelling in that vicinity for many years.

New Bridge at D’Abadie

D’Abadie Bridge (B1/23)

The Minister of Works and Infrastructure, the Honourtable Dr Surujrattan Rambachan, on June 29, 2014 opened the D’Abadie Bridge (B1/23), better known to villagers and motorists as the Garden River Bridge. The project was completed in six months with a state investment of $19.7 million.

The bridge provides a major link between Arima and Arouca on the Eastern Main Road, which is one of the busiest roadways in the country. The new bridge replaced a derelict one that was built in the 1900s.

Golconda Interchange

Golconda Interchange

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar opened the Golconda Interchange on Tuesday 21, October 2014, hailing it “as a symbol of further progress, not only of the highway but our commitment to a better quality of life and a better country as a whole.”

This, as she promised to continue working on developing the Southland through the Solomon Hochoy Highway Extension Project.

Southern Main Road Improvement Project

Before works were done on the Southern Main Road, motorists had to cope with an extensive amount of traffic queues along the Southern Main Road, beginning east along the Caroni South Bank Road and stretching West to as far as Caroni Bridge Roundabout and Washington Junction. This has resulted in lost time, delays, increased road user costs, poorer air quality, increased transportation cost and a decrease in economic activity.

However, the Ministry’s Programme for Upgrading Road Efficiency (PURE) completed this project that spans from Washington junction to Fredrick Settlement within budget of approximately TT$90M.

SCOPE OF WORKS

· Dualling the existing main road from Fredrick Settlement to the Caroni Police station. This would include two lanes both Eastbound and Westbound (3.5 – 3.65m in width) – along with shoulders.

· Two roundabouts by the Caroni Police station and Washington Junction

· Four (4) new lanes (and shoulders) were constructed

· Approximately seven (7) box culverts were built

· A number of laybys were introduced pedestrian crossing lights were installed to facilitate safe crossing.

· As works continued, the scope increased – with the existing main road being dualled for an additional 750m (approximately).

· Two (2) additional box culverts were constructed – one south of La Paille Gardens and the other just East of the roundabout.

Debe Interchange to Gandhi Village segment of highway

The Debe Interchange to Gandhi Village is part of the Solomon Hochoy Highway extension project.  Motorists now have full access to Debe via a complete interchange which facilitates the free flow of traffic in and around Debe, the market, local food attractions and environs.