MINISTER of Works Rohan Sinanan says residents and others traversing the Bonne Aventure Road in Gasparillo will see a "massive change" within the next two weeks as his ministry nears the completion of a $1.6 million project in the area. Once completed, double-lane traffic will return to Bonne Aventure Road.
The minister gave the assurance as he toured the project site near S&S Marketing Ltd on Thursday afternoon as piling and shoring works continued.
The work falls under the purview of the ministry's Highways Division, and acting director Patrice Caprieta also toured. She added that piling was expected to be done by Wednesday, and by the following Sunday, it should be paved and opened to the public.
"Landslips are not just repaired just like that. Tests and designs have to be done," Sinanan added.
"Trinidad is one of the few countries in the world where almost every area has a different soil type. Other countries have the same soil type so one design could work in several areas. In Trinidad, there could be a landslip here, and the same design cannot work elsewhere because it's a totally different type of soil."
He spoke about the complexity of repairing roads caused by land movements saying every project has a different time line.
In Gasparillo, there has been single-lane traffic to facilitate the project, cranes were brought in, and TT Electricity Commission (TTEC) personnel had to remove overhead electrical lines on one side of the road.
Sinanan also commented on the complaints made by Sangre Grande to Mayaro-route taxi drivers about the state of the unpaved Manzanilla bypass road, the temporary diversion for the Manzanilla Mayaro Road.
The minister said he understood their plights and had been in communication with them.
"We cannot put any permanent solution in the swamp. We have to be very sensitive to the area, and that is why the designs and the tendering process are under way. The designs have been completed, and very soon, we will have a permanent solution."
"We know the road cannot stand up to the weather. But we have to work with the different agencies. We cannot just go in and start to work. It is not just about the road. It is about coastal erosion on one side and protecting the swamp on the other."
[caption id="attachment_1020362" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Minister of Works and Transport Rohan Sinanan speaks to media at the Bonne Aventure landslip in Gasparillo on Thursday. - ANGELO MARCELLE[/caption]
If the bypass road is closed, it could take up to four hours between Mayaro and Sangre Grande.
The minister said the damaged part of the road takes seven to ten minutes to drive.
He said it is not economical for the ministry to have a contractor on site every day to maintain the roads.
"It is a temporary road to allow access. The first tender has been closed, so work will soon start on the road.
The project is to be done in phases. The tender for the first phase is to remove all the material from the road because, to keep costs down, we will be reusing all the m
