Senior Reporter
otto.carrington@cnc3.co.tt
The Ministry of Works and Transport has denied allegations made by Chaguanas Mayor Faaiq Mohammed and expressed concern over recent public statements questioning the quality of work on the newly-opened Bridal Road Bridge and the Perseverance Road Bridge in Chaguanas.
In a media release yesterday, the ministry said the comments had created a misleading narrative about its stringent certification standards for infrastructural projects, potentially causing unnecessary panic and fear.
Speaking to Guardian Media at the Perseverance Road Bridge, Mayor Mohammed complained that the bridge, which reopened only last Friday, now had two speed humps on each side, resulting in a traffic headache.
“There weren’t any humps before, so why are there now two? Do you realise the traffic congestion this is going to cause? They said this decision came from above to install these two humps. So, I want to know from the Ministry of Works why the Perseverance Bridge now has two humps, one on the northern end and one on the southern end. Can you explain that to the residents and all those using the roadway? Because it’s creating a traffic nightmare, especially during peak hours,” he said.
Mohammed also condemned the ministry over concerns raised by residents regarding the surface of the Bridal Road Bridge.
“Regarding the Bridal Road Bridge, it’s clear that the roadway is failing. You can see cracks and depressions along the surface, and residents are reporting that it’s not fully completed. The wing walls on the southern end have yet to be finished, so the ministry needs to act quickly on that, especially as we are entering the rainy season, which brings intense rainfall,” the mayor noted.
In its statement, the ministry said before the official opening of the Bridal Road Bridge on August 30, the Programme for Upgrading Roads Efficiency (PURE) Unit was fully aware additional work was needed to finish the project, which was 95 per cent complete at the time. Similarly, it said, the Highways Division was still conducting ancillary works at the Perseverance Road Bridge site.
The statement said the ministry prioritised restoring access and connectivity for motorists and commuters, particularly with the expected increase in traffic at the start of the new school term yesterday.
Mayor Mohammed, however, expressed concern over whether the contractor would have enough time to construct the wing wall, noting it was essential for the bridge’s stability.
He said the project took over a year and should have been completed in significantly less time, stating, “It’s not as if we are constructing a bridge that is a hundred feet wide.”
The ministry said work was ongoing to complete both projects.