| Trinidad & Tobago to Get its First Toll $840M Expressway |
| SC Admin |
08/31/2006
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Economy, Trade & Investment , People & Lifestyle
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Trinidad & Tobago to Get its First Toll $840M Expressway
Port-of-Spain---Aug. 31, 2006---In the next three years, commuters going from San Fernando to Princes
Town would have their travelling time reduced from 30 minutes to ten
minutes, as the country’s first toll expressway is completed, Works and
Transport Minister, Colm Imbert announced at yesterday’s post-Cabinet
media conference.
Imbert said Cabinet yesterday approved the implementation and
construction of the new San Fernando to Princes Town highway at a cost
of $840 million.
He said the new highway would be designed for a higher speed, 110 kilometres per hour, than the current highways.
But there is a price as there would be some form of cost recovery
for the road, the minister noted. He said the money accumulated from
the tolls would be put towards maintenance of the road. The toll would
be collected via a system of public/private partnership and the use of
concessionaire arrangements.
Commuters would have the choice of using the existing road from San
Fernando to Princes Town, which would remain, or use the freeway at a
cost.
Imbert said the new south freeway, which would pave the way for the
introduction of a system of toll roads throughout TT, would start in
the new Tarouba area with a full interchange at the intersection of the
Solomon Hochoy Highway and the Tarouba by-pass and terminate at Princes
Town. Because it is being built to full freeway standards there would
be no traffic lights.
He said where there is an intersection with a major arterial road
that already exists, there would be a flyover, an interchange or an
underpass.
Two connector roads would be associated with the freeway, at
Golconda and near Princes Town, providing populated settlements with
access to the freeway.
He said it is part of the ministry’s national highways programme,
and the construction of the new highway was determined feasible, based
on a number of traffic studies that were done on the traffic situation
between Mayaro and San Fernando.
He said the highways programme would focus on the expansion of
trunk roads throughout TT and some of the main projects are the
extension of the Solomon Hochoy Highway to Point Fortin, a new highway
between Princes Town and Mayaro and the extension of the Churchill
Roosevelt Highway from Wallerfield to Manzanilla.
Source: Newsday
www.newsday.co.tt
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