Trinidad & Tobago | Highways

[Trini2D Bone]

Aranjuez overpass opens $25m under budget

By Joel Julien joel.julien@trinidadexpress.com
Story Created: Jan 18, 2011 at 11:54 PM ECT
Story Updated: Jan 18, 2011 at 11:54 PM ECT
AN END to this country's traffic congestion is on the horizon, Works and Transport Minister Jack Warner said yesterday.
He made the comment as he officially opened the multi-million-dollar overpass at Aranjuez.
The overpass was built at a cost of $161 million, Warner said, $25 million less than the budgeted price. The name of the overpass will be revealed after tomorrow's Cabinet meeting, he said.
The overpass is part of several initiatives, Warner said, which are expected to significantly reduce this country's traffic woes.
Traffic lights at both the Aranjuez and El Socorro Extensions were removed with the opening of the overpass, he said. This will allow for the free flow of traffic along the Churchill-Roosevelt Highway during rush hours.
Vehicles seeking to enter Aranjuez or El Socorro will now be diverted into feeder roads north and south of the highway.
In the next few weeks, the next phase of the Grand Bazaar, Valsayn, interchange will begin to be constructed, Warner added. This will lead to a removal of the traffic lights at the Nestle intersection.
"In two to three weeks' time, at most, we shall begin to build the interchange at the Grand Bazaar at a cost of $430 million," Warner said.
A fourth lane for traffic will be included on the Aranjuez stretch to aid in the merger of vehicles coming from the Uriah Butler Highway, he said.
A third lane of traffic will also be opened at the Beetham stretch, starting at the headquarters of National Petroleum (NP) and ending at the lighthouse, Warner said.
A bus lane on the Uriah Butler Highway is also scheduled to be constructed, he said. Four hundred traffic wardens will also be posted along the nation's major roadways to aid in the free flow of traffic.
"The traffic wardens will do exactly what the police are doing. They will give people tickets, charge people for being on the (Priority) Bus Route (and) people who don't obey the highway codes.
"There will be 400 deployed to key areas because the fact is I have not been getting the success from the traffic police as I would like to. Therefore, the traffic wardens are meant to supplement what the traffic police should be doing," he said. Wardens are currently being trained in Chaguaramas, he said.
Warner said he has written to Police Commissioner Dwayne Gibbs and National Security Minister Brigadier John Sandy for additional police patrols to be carried out on the highway.
Construction of the $5 billion highway from San Fernando to Point Fortin will also begin next week, he said.
While Warner lauded the construction of the overpass to alleviate traffic congestion, several farmers who had their land reclaimed expressed concern yesterday.
Some $65 million was budgeted to pay 15 farmers who were inconvenienced, Warner said. So far, $25 million has been paid.
Nirmal Sookwah, a farmer, said, "Yes, the money will help, but what we really want is to be relocated. Aranjuez is the food basket of the country, and if we cannot grow food, the price of food will get even higher."
Sanita Ramjattan, who lives near to the newly opened overpass, meanwhile said she now had a security fear as her mother's home is close to the new feeder roads.
"The house has been broken into several times and now, because of this, we are seeing several new faces hanging around in the area," she said.

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/...114183164.html

[Trini2D Bone]

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/...114183159.html

There was a lot of chaos in the back roads of El Socorro and Aranguez due to the opening of the overpass.

Take a look at my remarks in the comments section under the name Jest_01.

[Trini1]

That's some good news then- I'm looking forward to the extension to Point, although I have a feeling it may only stop in Debe and not move from there for years. Why not start the highway from both ends? Also looking forward to the re-commencement of the Grand Bazaar overpass.

[Trini2D Bone]

Originally Posted by Trini1

Also looking forward to the re-commencement of the Grand Bazaar overpass.

So am I. The completion of the interchange should bring a lot of relief to traffic on an evening. I also hope they move ahead with the construction of an interchange at Curepe as well.

[Trini1]

Curepe, St. Augustine/UWI, Arouca, Macoya, Trincity, Piarco and onwards. I would love to see a trumpet interchange at trinicity but I know it has to be whatever is most cost effective. I would like to see more overhead signs/ better(clear) signs.

[Trini2D Bone]

Originally Posted by Trini1

Curepe, St. Augustine/UWI, Arouca, Macoya, Trincity, Piarco and onwards. I would love to see a trumpet interchange at trinicity but I know it has to be whatever is most cost effective. I would like to see more overhead signs/ better(clear) signs.

I agree. But I actually saw the plans for the interchange at Curepe. i never saw or heard anything about others at the other intersections further east. I think a trumpet at Trincity would be ideal. I can't think of a better design for that intersection.

On a side note, the sod turning ceremony for the highway extension to Point Fortin was today. It is to cost $5 billion or $7 billion depending on who you ask apparently.

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/...114526439.html

[Trini1]

'This process of modernisation of our highway infrastructure
through the construction of flyovers and interchanges
will continue east along the Churchill Roosevelt Highway
to Trincity and beyond.' - (Budget 2010 in the infrastructure section) and the same can be seen in many budgets prior. Yes trumpet is the best possible at the trincity. Hmm i have my queries but I'm happy that something has at least started on a highway project that has been on the cards for over 20+ years.

[vitasjm]

Originally Posted by Trini2D Bone

I agree. But I actually saw the plans for the interchange at Curepe. i never saw or heard anything about others at the other intersections further east. I think a trumpet at Trincity would be ideal. I can't think of a better design for that intersection.

On a side note, the sod turning ceremony for the highway extension to Point Fortin was today. It is to cost $5 billion or $7 billion depending on who you ask apparently.

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/...114526439.html

I would love to see the plans for Curepe, would you post it?

[uktrini1]

http://guardian.co.tt/news/2011/02/0...be-spent-roads

What do you think of the design? Looks complicated to me? Also mentions traffic signals?

http://cbrd.co.uk/interchanges/partunrollcleaf.shtml

this one seems better!

[Trini2D Bone]

I don't know that design for the interchange. If you look on page one of this thread you would see the pic I posted for the design that I thought was final. It has no traffic signals. I never heard news of the design changing but it is possible that the final design is what is posted in the guardian article.

Here's the Curepe Interchange.

[Trini1]

The one with the traffic lights in the newspaper article is a disaster in the making and they seriously need to reconsider what they are doing before chaos erupts- traffic lights at the biggest interchange in the country is madness. Looking good it also seems as they have mapped out the other overpass designs if you at the far right of the the first enlarged map.

[vitasjm]

I concur, those traffic lights on the interchange would just defeat the purpose. It might be a cost saving measure but that is how we got here in the first place, that kind of planning leads to traffic congestion in the future.

That Curepe interchange looks confusing but it leads to some concerns:

• How do we build it while having to deal with not obstucting a major north/south artery?

• This is an invitable domino effect as UWI, Pasea, Macoya, etc intersections would have to be closed or have a fly-over as the congestion shifts eastward. I hope we will have the funds to continue.

• I dont thing Valsayn North residents would like an access road flowing through their community.

• There also might need to be something done on the EMR, PBR and UBH in front of SBCS, there needs to be a free flow at all those intersection especially when the UBH fly-over is completed.

[Trini2D Bone]

The second map is just an enlarged version of the Curepe intersection shown to the right of the first map.

This design I think was done by persons who didn't have an appreciation for the type of neighbourhood Valsayn is. I don't think the residents would allow an access road through their community either. Again, this isn't a final design or anything. It just shows at least there are plans in the works for the construction of an interchange at Curepe.

With regards to the UBH interchange, I only recently took a good look at the one posted in the guardian and I totally agree. That is a horrible design. Having lights for the north-south route doesn't make sense. If all this money is being spent it's better if it's completely grade separated like the one I posted. Don't get me wrong though I still have some concerns even with that design but it's way better than the guardian one. I really hope that isn't final.

[uktrini1]

http://www.nidco.co.tt/Comprehensive...t%20Fortin.pdf

[Babalawo]

Originally Posted by uktrini1

http://www.nidco.co.tt/Comprehensive...t%20Fortin.pdf

thanks

[Trini2D Bone]

The dualling of the CRH from Omeara to Demerara was opened on Monday. So now there is at least two lanes from POS to Wallerfield. Also, the Aranguez project should be completed by next month which would allow the removal of the El Socorro lights.

[UNMSM06]

http://www.nidco.co.tt/Comprehensive...t%20Fortin.pdf

[Trini2D Bone]

Ok I have some good news and some bad news (well sorta). First the bad - it seems as though the interchange pic in the guardian a few pages back was actually a new design for the interchange at the CRH/UBH intersection.



I remember that vitasjm and trini1 among others had issues with this design as it would mean traffic lights (two in fact; one right after the next) along the UBH. The somewhat good news is that the design isn't finalized. As far as I know, they are tweaking the design to avoid having both sets of traffic signals. What I'm getting though, is that I still don't think both would be removed. It seems at best there would be at least one set of signals. So the most we could do is pray, i guess, that the powers that be have the foresight to approve a design that has no signals at the intersection.

Looking at the design in the Guardian though, I don't know how that could've even been considered. That design is just horrible. Firstly, if you're heading east along the CRH and want to go to Grand Bazaar or Bamboo 1 or 3, you have to take the off ramp that goes around the clover and head to the northern intersection. Then turn right and head south along the UBH to the southern intersection. There isn't a dedicated left turn lane so motorists would have to wait at a second set of lights. Then turn left only to hit a third set of lights. That's just too much, even if it's just the local traffic of Bamboo and Grand Bazaar.

Secondly, if you're heading west along the CRH and want to turn either left or right you have to exit on the left off ramp. Then head to the lights at the funny shaped intersection. Notice it only has one lane. So the west bound left and right turning movements only have one lane. Just to point out those two turns combined currently have three lanes. Madness! And then after getting through these lights you would have to wait at a second set of lights at the southern intersection along the UBH to turn right or left.

Sigh..... I really hope this design is modified a lot and that all the traffic signals are removed.

[Rookie83]

I hope so too.. Just got back from a vacation there about a day ago... and the lights at the CR Hwy and the Uriah Butler intersection is ridiculous.

[davsot]

So, is Rapid Rail still happening? It shows up on that map.