radhica.sookraj@guardian.co.tt
Williamsville residents have held off on further protests after Works Minister Rohan Sinanan promised to repair three major landslips before commencing full rehabilitative works on the road network.
Saying the full length of Garth Road, Williamsville, will be paved, the Minister revealed that $2 million had already been spent doing remedial works.
His comments came after residents staged fiery protests over a three-mile radius between Garth Road, Williamsville to Iere Village, Princes Town.
In a statement to Guardian Media on Tuesday, Sinanan said the ministry is aware of the recent protest action.
“Through the Highways Division, over the past three years, the ministry has constantly conducted repairs to the roadway and has undertaken four significant projects costing almost $2 million to keep the road passable.”
He said these projects include sectional road rehabilitation between the 0 km to 4.6 km mark.
“We also did piling and shoring works at the northern approach to the bridge B1/1 (0.5km mark) to prevent scour erosion. Also completed was the reconstruction of a cylinder crossing and associated drainage works within the vicinity of the 1.6km mark,” he said.
Sinanan said sectional strengthening and road rehabilitation also occurred between the 0.5 km to 1 km mark.
“It must be noted that the area in question is particularly challenging given its soil composition, which makes it prone to landslips and slope failures,” he said.
Notwithstanding these ongoing challenges, he said the Highways Division has been undertaking interim works.
“This includes interim sealing and asphalt patching to ensure connectivity and access to affected communities,” he added.
To provide a permanent solution, Sinanan said the ministry is working towards addressing the three critical landslips identified along the roadway.
“Once completed, the Highways Division will then undertake a comprehensive road rehabilitation programme which will include strengthening and resurfacing the full length of the roadway,” Sinanan said.
The residents still say they will resume road protests if they do not see repairs soon.