No rocket science in fixing roads

THE EDITOR: I listened to the JSC on Land and Physical Infrastructure recently and chairman Deoroop Teemal, a civil engineer, asked questions that implied fixing roads in TT requires advanced rocket science and a touch of divine intervention. Well, it is not so.

In fact, we are wasting valuable parliamentary time to even have an inquiry into the efficiency of road repairs and dealing with landslides.

A good place to start is collaboration between Sinanan and brother Marvin to fix water lines first and then pave the roads – in that order! It is stupid to pave a road, then dig up a section to replace water lines, then throw dirt and sand to cover it up, creating an artificial pothole.

Another thing is to build roads strong enough to handle big trucks. Over time, the vibrations and excessive weight of these trucks will be detrimental to the integrity of the pipes below.

A simple way to solve this is to have a thick granular sub-base, and a compacted base course so the foundation can dampen all vibrations and the forces can be evenly distributed across the road.

The laying of asphalt is the easy part but it is useless if it is not bounded by anything hence box drains, or else the vehicles will spread the asphalt like splitting a tamarind ball. Then we have water, when roads are being built, we must build box drains for water to run off.

Added to that, the roads must be smooth to avoid pitting, infiltration and the accumulation of water and have a crowned surface for water to reach those box drains and not seep and erode the earth below.

Obviously, such quality work, materials and equipment will require time, money and energy and therein lies the problem.

When contracts are given out for road repairs, what exactly goes on at the tendering stage? Is there even due process at all? This is why we need stronger procurement legislation to have vigorous tendering so that contractors can be held accountable, all scope of works is completed and we receive value for money.

This administration is concerned with authorising and rushing down half-way and sub-standard work, weeks before an election so as to project the image that they are doing the work for less money other than their predecessors, in an obvious jab at their political rivals. A case in point is the Manzanilla/Mayaro mud track.

Rather than build a Herculean road that will last a lifetime with little maintenance, the PNM prefers to pinch our wallets and keep us in a “pending state” while we are left with no choice but to constantly buy new tyres and shocks for our vehicles.

Want to win an election?

How about introducing recycled plastics to supplement the integrity of bitumen and asphalt in roads, never mind asphalt is 100 per cent recyclable. Saving the environment and fixing roads in the process. Yes, we have the expertise, but they are not in charge.

KENDELL KARAN

Chaguanas