Sea Lots gets longest walkover

A FESTIVE mood of Christmas lights, free snacks and children’s toys prevailed Friday night at the launch of the Sea Lots Walkover at the spot where in 2013 a mother and her two children were tragically killed by a car when crossing the Churchill Roosevelt Highway.

The ribbon-cutting and lighting ceremony was hosted by Minister of Works and Transport Rohan Sinanan. Also present were Port of Spain South MP Marlene Mc Donald, Port of Spain Mayor Joel Martinez, contractor Mikey Joseph and TTEC general manager Kelvin Ramsook.

Sinanan recalled the three deaths that led to calls for a walkover. “All we ask is that the people in the community would now respect the walkover and use it, because this is a very dangerous intersection and once we take the crossing lights off that the people in the area use the walkover,” he said. The walkover will be illuminated for safe use at night.

On February 24, 2013, a car driven by an off-duty police officer mounted the pavement and crashed into a group of six people. Haydee Paul, 28, and her daughters, Shakira, seven, and Akasha, eight, were killed instantly. Three others were injured and hospitalised, including Ryan Rampersad, a father or two, who to this day remains wheelchair-bound. On April 18, 2013, PC Sher­win Leg­ere appeared in the Port of Spain Magistrates' Court charged for causing the deaths and received $250,000 bail. The case is ongoing.

Mc Donald said she remembered the family who lost their lives. “I was home that Sunday morning when news came to me about that ill-fated accident that killed a young mother and her two daughters. I attended the funeral and there was a promise something would have been done, under the last regime. But it has happened (now) and I thank God for having it completed," she said. “I implore all my constituents to please use the walkover. It is for your safety.”

The walkover cost $10.4 million.

“Don’t be fooled by the price. This is probably the longest walkover ever built in Trinidad and Tobago,” said Sinanan.

He said it was 12 metres longer than the formerly longest walkover. “This walkover does not have any centre-brace if you look at it. There’s a span all the way across,” he said, commending Joseph.

“This is definitely the longest span walkover built in TT. It is 48 metres. The one previous to this was 36 metres. It’s a huge span," he said, noting the accident had happened in 2013, while construction of the walkover began in 2017.

Asked if the walkover was so long it might be a deterrent to users. Sinanan said its length was needed so as to have a gentle slope to facilitate people in wheelchairs.

“You have to have a gradient that does not take too much of you if you have a wheelchair. Yes you have a long ramp, but it is much easier to walk up it with a gradient like that than a steeper ramp. You could put a shorter ramp but much steeper and that would deter a lot of people from using it.”

Asked how many Sea Lots residents would benefit from the walkover, Mc Donald said, “There are over 2,000 people here.” Sinanan chimed in that the walkover will also serve commuters getting to and from the nearby Port of Spain market.

Martinez welcomed its use by market shoppers. “We are trying to encourage people to come back to the market," he said.

The Sea Lots tragedy triggered protests by irate residents who claimed the driver was intoxicated and accused police of a cover-up by spiriting away a bottle of alcohol in the car and the driver while the victims lay in the road. News reports said the area had two CCTV cameras which the authorities claimed had malfunctioned.

The whole saga prompted soca star Machel Montano to write a song, I See Lots (The Sea Lots Riddim) with Morgan Heritage, Positive, Prophet Benjamin and Collis Duranty. The song lamented the perceived injustice of the tragedy and implored help for the area’s youngsters.