Negotiations for Curepe interchange ongoing

Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan said negotiations are still going on with residents over the land acquisition for the construction of the Curepe interchange.

Speaking at today's post-Cabinet news conference at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann's, Sinanan said while the ministry has signed off on some of the warrants for possession of some of the land, that did not stop the negotiations.

"There are some residents and some commentators who are trying to indicate that the Government is trying to force people to accept the Government's valuation. That is not true. There is a process for land acquisition where we serve Section (3) and Section (4). After Section (4) Government has the right to move in on the land, but that does not stop the negotiations from going on."

The minister said one of the five land owners who were critical to the project's moving forward has accepted Government's offer of 80 per cent while negotiations continue.

"I am hoping that this good sense will prevail before the marshal of the court enforces the compulsory land acquisition process, thereby giving us a vacant possession, that we can have an ample solution to the problem that we may be faced with, and the contractor would be forced to charge for downtime on the project."

On the report that a house was flooded as a result of a main being punctured by piledriving at the interchange, Sinanan said this was not true.

"The report I had was that it had nothing to do with the piling. It was a ruptured WASA (Water and Sewerage Authority) valve which was leaking. It had nothing to do with the Ministry of Works project."

He said the valve was repaired last night by WASA with assistance from the contractor, who was on site.