Curepe overpass a waste of money

Once again another major project, the Curepe overpass, is scheduled to start and the wastage of taxpayers’ dollars continues.

The reality is that the CRH is a roadway with businesses, playground, malls, factories and residences on both sides of the road. There are over ten major intersections along the roadway and many small streets entering or exiting the highway.

That sector of our nation’s highway grid can never be a major highway regardless of how much money is spent on improvement and overpasses. No amount of money spend on that highway will ever bring the much-needed relief from traffic congestion that is experienced daily by commuters along the east-west corridor.

The sensible solution to the east-west traffic congestion is a new highway just south of the existing CRH. There is an expanse of almost virgin land that stretches from the Caroni Swamp in the west to Matura Bay on the east coast. That area should be the location of a new east-west freeway.

Such a project will minimise the inconvenience associated with building overpasses in builtup areas, reduce the cost of land acquisition and provide fast and efficient access to all that traverse from along the east-west corridor.

Additionally, the bus route that is used by the privileged few need to be reverted to a light rail system that will allow passengers to travel along the corridor without the congestion that has now made the bus route another one of our severely congested roadways.

There is no alternative to common sense and proper planning.

In the meantime, one continues to be bemused and bewildered as our limited foreign exchange and taxpayers’ dollars are squandered on projects that make little sense.

STEVE ALVAREZ via email