Senior Reporter
kevon.felmine@guardian.co.tt
With another piece of the Archibald-DeLeon Highway opened yesterday, Minister of Works and Transport Rohan Sinanan says it will help decrease the time people take to reach Point Fortin and surrounding communities.
As he oversaw the opening of the new interchange in Fyzabad, Sinanan said it would shave off an additional four minutes from the 20-minute drive between San Fernando and Point Fortin.
He said the drive previously took between one and two hours, but deducting four minutes could mean a 20-minute reduction in peak traffic. He added that there is more safety by removing the bottlenecking into a single lane. Based on surveys, he said this will be adequate for the next 30 to 40 years.
“This interchange creates a free flow all the way down to La Brea. Once the next section is completed, it will be straight sailing to Point Fortin,” Sinanan said.
The newly opened section, which includes adjoining roadworks, is part of a $269 million package executed by Lutchmeesingh Contractors. Despite progress, two key sections of the highway remain incomplete—one in Fyzabad and the other in Vance River. Sinanan explained that final negotiations with BP, NGC, and other stakeholders are underway to begin work to build over the pipes. He stressed that ensuring the safety of active pipelines is a priority.
As the 13-year-old highway project moves toward completion, Sinanan said the Cabinet is reviewing a proposal to rehabilitate a failed section along Mosquito Creek. However, it is mindful of potential litigation stemming from the design.
When asked about the contentious Debe to Mon Desir leg of the highway, Sinanan confirmed that this segment was removed from the project by the previous People’s Partnership government in 2015.
He explained that while some residents of Penal and Debe have been advocating for the highway to reach their communities, the section was omitted when the contract with the Brazilian firm OAS Construtora was reorganised. The Government, he said, had no choice but to focus on completing the current phase before considering any further extensions.
“Even if the Government wants to extend the highway to Debe, it cannot at this time,” Sinanan said, clarifying that the $1 billion recovered from OAS could only be used for the existing sections. Any further extension to connect Debe to Fyzabad would require new funding and be treated as a separate project.