Cautious ‘yes’ to freeways

A new freeway will link San Fernando to Mayaro with a travel time of 45 minutes, he said at a news conference at his office last week. San Fernando will also be linked by freeway to Point Fortin. In addition a freeway will link Wallerfield to Manzanilla.

While we acknowledge that Trinidad is a fast-developing country which requires an efficient network of highways, we would express a cautious optimism towards these plans. We support the plan if done efficiently and without causing harm. Firstly, it is a huge and costly construction exercise. Imbert said the freeways will cost $40 to $60 million per kilometre. The San Fernando to Point Fortin freeway alone is initially estimated at $1.4 billion. We want a guarantee that these initial estimates will not rise during the period of construction, and that the award of tenders for this lucrative work will be done with full transparency.

Secondly, we ask, will this project be able to access sufficient manpower and materials, given the competing tug for these resources by projects in the current construction boom in Trinidad like the building of a high-rise waterfront in our capital, the coming six industrial plants, and the envisioned urban renewal of East Port-of-Spain?

Thirdly, what will be the environmental impact of the freeways? Imbert has assured that the Wallerfield-Manzanilla link will give a wide berth to the Aripo Savannah. Likewise the San Fernando-Point Fortin freeway will avoid ecologicallysensitive areas by winding between the Oropouche Lagoon and the Siparia Forest Reserve, and between Rousillac Swamp and Morne L’Enfer Reserve, respectively. This is a good plan. Imbert also said that the section of freeway from Princes Town to Manzanilla will run along the old railway thereby minimising its impact on human population centres, and presumably also on the environment. Elsewhere in the world, new highways have been opposed when found to have harmful effects on the environs. Noise, smoke, human trespass, and the clearance of forests are all possible negative consequences of both the construction and operation of new freeways. The hazards can harm an area’s wildlife, human inhabitants, water-courses and archaeological sites. We hope that any concerns about these ecological issues by local residents will be fully addressed. Imbert has assured his ministry has held consultations to hear the views of local residents, including four consultations regarding the San Fernando-Princes Town freeway. Imbert said: “We are bringing in trained professionals — psychologists, social scientists, people who are trained in human behaviour and negotiators, to allay the fears of people.” Imbert recently said that from all the feedback he’d had so far, persons are welcoming the highways.

The highways are being supported by noted environmentalist Eden Shand, who is working on the project. Shand said it is being done under strict environmental scrutiny and is subjected to certificates of environmental clearance (CECs) and environmental impact assessments (EIA), by the Environmental Management Authority (EMA). Shand said the new roads are very necessary. “The drive from San Fernando to Mayaro is tortuous, with a bottleneck at Princes Town.”

While all of this is so far so good, we can’t help but wonder whether this rapid transit to Manzanilla and Mayaro could harm the character of these villages, in destroying the very isolation which makes them so sought after in the first place. Time will tell.