Jack opens Arima highway extension, promises infrastructure relief everywhere

Minister of Works and Transport Jack Warner on Monday opened a major highway improvement project - the Churchill Roosevelt Highway extension from O'Meara Road, Arima to Demerara Road.

In an address at the formal ceremony to open the highway Warner noted that the $150 million project was completed within time and budget and employed local contractors, Jusamco and Coosals.

He urged citizens to have some patience and promised that the ministry will be improving infrastructure in all communities.

"We sit down with the NIPDEC board to talk to them about over $1 billion dollars in contracts being awarded to different constituencies, including PNM constituencies, and given in many cases to local contractors to complete," he said.

The extension project began in 2006 but was delayed after a previous contractor took the Manning PNM government to court over contractual matters. He said matter was settled in 2009 and work resumed under the PURE program in the ministry.

Hayden Phillip, the program manager for PURE, said the upgrades included improvements to the drainage, and the addition of a pedestrian crossing and a shoulder. He added that the whole project meets international standards.