Knolly’s Tunnel

The project is called “Knolly’s Tunnel Rural Tourism Corridor and Biodiversity Nature Reserve.”

The Knolly’s Tunnel is an old railroad tunnel which is situated off the Tabaquite Main Road in Central Trinidad. Approximately a quarter mile long, the tunnel is reportedly one of the longest in the Caribbean.

The construction which began in 1896 took two years to complete and utilised the skills of over 200 African and Indian workers. The tunnel was constructed to link the Rio Claro hinterland with Port-of-Spain and to facilitate the transport of cocoa, coffee and other agricultural produce from the rich Brasso-Caparo Valley.

The tunnel which was named after Sir Clement C Knolly who was then the Acting Governor of Trinidad and Tobago, was opened by him on August 13, 1898.

Project coordinator Lennard Muhammed Abdullahi James said that the area above the tunnel will be made into a 19th century village. He added that the project will take approximately 24 to 36 months to complete. According to James, future plans for the Knolly’s Tunnel Rural Tourism Corridor and Biodiversity Nature Reserve include a Rural Information Technology Centre, Herbal Gardens with culinary and medicinal herbs, nature trails, reafforestation with rare fruit trees and exotic plants, nursery and potting shed and an animal reserve.

Some of the more elaborate projects include a cultural amphitheatre, spa facilities, inland lake for aqua culture, water sports, fishing, conference facilities, holiday cabins, family rides through the tunnel on buggy or carts and the re-establishing of a railway line for train rides through the tunnel.James pointed out that whatever little work was done on the tunnel so far, was done with Caribbean Cooperative Membership contributions.

“Petrotrin helped us with the sign,” James said. “We are in need of funding and we plan to approach various ministerial agencies, private companies and the relevant governmental departments for assistance. We also want the body which is responsible for URP to designate this (the tunnel) as a special project so that the cultural amphitheatre could be completed to host the various cultural events.”

One such event was hosted recently with the help of the National Carnival Commission (NCC) “On June 24, the NCC along with the Caribbean Cooperative Society and members of the community hosted the first annual Burroquite Festival,” James noted.

The participants came from the Tabaquite Composite School, the Tabaquite Roman Catholic School and the Brasso Venado Government School along with visiting burroquites from other areas.

At that festival, the forest and herbal garden project was also started. The first tree was planted by Pennelope Beckles, Minister of Public Utilities.

Rawle Mitchell, acting head of the Historical Restoration Unit of the Ministry of Works also checked out the background of the tunnel recently.

In an interview he said his visit was “to do research on the tunnel with the view of having it declared as a National Heritage site, with the potential of it being listed as a World Heritage Site, pending investigations by UNESCO and the National Heritage Trust.”

Mitchell who has a Masters Degree in project management construction, a Bachelors Degree in architecture, a post graduate degree in construction engineering and management, and a certificate in historical restoration and preservation, said of the structure, “Geometrically it’s an elipse and because of the form it has its strength, that’s why it withstood earth’s movement for 108 years. The type of construction is heavy reinforced concrete and there are no weak forms.”

Other visitors described the tunnel as “interesting, fascinating and beyond what they expected.”

James said that he would like to thank Culture Minister Joan Yuille-Williams whose initiative resulted in URP’s (the Unemployment Relief Programme) output to keep the site clean as well as Beckles and the National Trust who have shown a lively interest in the site.

He added, “Another advantage of this site is the waterfall and a telegraph pole...probably one of the last from the days of telegraph messaging.”