Warner begins work on repairing Taruba link road

Jack Warner turned the sod Friday to begin restoration work on the Tarouba Link road in south Trinidad and thanked commuters for their patience in tolerating the unsatisfactory roadway.

The Works and Infrastructure Minister promised to do what people think is not possible. "We have been told that this Tarouba Road cannot be fixed. That this is little La Brea," he said. 

"They said this is impossible and even in the best of times when we chose to build sky rise buildings, when we chose to have all kinds of summits we neglected this. We neglected to repair these roads so I thank you for your patience. I thank you for waiting for this new era," he added.

Warner also started repairs on the roads leading into Point Fortin on Thursday night. "We began road construction at three venues. Otaheite, Oropouche began at nine o'clock, and we also began in La Brea last night at nine o'clock and from La Brea to Point Fortin we began at nine o'clock. 

"We left down there at one o'clock in the morning. Three construction sites all beginning at the same time. We told them we would be back in two weeks and we returned within six days," he said.

San Fernando West Member of Parliament Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan thanked Warner for responding to the plight of the people of San Fernando.

"Given this government's approach to projects, I am confident that it will be delivered within time and budget so I join with the Minister of Works to say within eight months we will be back here opening this road," she said.

The project will be done at an estimated cost of $61.6 million which will include the design and build phases, embankment, stabilisation, road works and drainage improvement.

Works and Infrastructure Minister Jack Warner, second from right, accompanied by Local Government Minister Chandresh Sharma, at the start of road works at Otaheite on Thursday night