$15B highway netowrk coming; work starts in July

The government of Trinidad and Tobago is planning a major $15 billion highway expansion project across the country.

Works minister Colm Imbert made the announcement Tuesday at the opening of the refurbished public transit Passenger Terminal Facility in Sangre Grande.

Imbert said the government has already invited tenders for a new highway from San Fernando to Mayaro and that the project is expected to start by July.

He also spoke about extending the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway to Point Fortin and building an extension of the Churchill-Roosevelt Highway that would take it all the way to Manzanilla.

Imbert also promised a causeway from Port-of-Spain to Chaguaramas, a new East-West highway to link Curepe to Princes Town and a highway from the Uriah Butler to Trincity and Piarco.

“All these highway contracts are scheduled for award by the end of 2010, with actual commencement of construction of the first new highway, the San Fernando to Mayaro highway scheduled for July of this year, with the other five highway packages following shortly thereafter,” the minister said.

He also announced that the state-owned Public Transit service would get 85 news buses this year, of which 60 would be assigned to rural seats. The additional vehicles will bring the fleet to 450. The buses will cost $65.