Talparo road gets new life

Works Minister, Rohan Sinanan and PNM constituency vice chairman Felix Clarke cut the ribbon to officially reopen the John Dillon Road (also called the Mundo Nuevo Road), Talparo, while contractor Arvin Kalloo, third from left, looks on.
Works Minister, Rohan Sinanan and PNM constituency vice chairman Felix Clarke cut the ribbon to officially reopen the John Dillon Road (also called the Mundo Nuevo Road), Talparo, while contractor Arvin Kalloo, third from left, looks on.

Students of the Mundo Nuevo RC School will no longer have to literally walk the plank to get to classes, as the Ministry of Works officially reopened the road leading to their school on Wednesday.

The John Dillon Road (also called the Mundo Nuevo Road) in Talparo started to collapse because of a landslip in early 2014 and within a few months became impassable.

During a visit on Wednesday, Works Minister Rohan Sinanan said the road was fixed as a matter of urgency, as he described the plight of the children as an accident waiting to happen.

“What we had here was a situation where the schoolchildren had to walk on a piece of plyboard on a floating surface to get to school, and it was really a danger,” he said.

Sinanan and contractor Arvin Kalloo also visited the school after the ceremony to distribute toys and treats.

The reconstruction of the road began in March and was completed within the estimated six-month timeframe by Kall Co at a cost of $4 million. Sinanan said he was made aware of the problem by MP Maxie Cuffie, who was lobbying to have the roadway repaired.

“I am sorry he is not here today at the opening,” he said. Cuffie fell ill in September and is still receiving treatment in the US.

Sinanan said the ministry planned to refurbish the entire Mundo Nuevo Road in the coming years. For now, he said the ministry had to prioritise emergency cases and work on the Mundo Nuevo Road in phases.

“The road is bad, there are a lot of challenges with the road, but we have a lot of problems in TT. I have seen areas where there are much more emergency situations. That is why we do it in phases.

Resident Parbatie Nanan expressed joy at the opening of the road, saying the children and teachers could now breathe a sigh of relief. “It used to be really hard for the little children and teachers to pass here to go to school,” she said. “We thank God for this road being repaired and opened here today.”

Nanan praised the contractor, saying the community was pleased with the work and the level of dedication shown by the workers.

“Even when it was raining, these workers came out and did what they had to do. They never slacked off. They used to be helping school children to cross the break land.”

Vice chairman of the PNM’s La Horquetta/Talparo constituency committee Felix Clarke said the residents were extremely satisfied with the work and had gotten a glimmer of hope that their infrastructure problems would soon be rectified.

“The Mundo Nuevo Road is probably the worst road in Trinidad, and getting this part of it fixed is a start, and we are extremely pleased with this development,” Clarke said. “People will look at this as a sign of better to come.”

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"Talparo road gets new life"

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