Avoidable gridlock

THE CONFLUENCE of several factors – roadworks, the annual uptick in excursions to the Divali Nagar, month-end shopping and a visiting circus from Mexico – has created a situation in which there are fears of a traffic nightmare along the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway. This should not be.

Traffic near to the Divali Nagar, as well as during one’s daily commute, is already a painful ritual for many.

But there is no good reason why better co-ordination and management could not have prevented this latest situation, which may well be aggravated by seasonal rainy weather in coming days.

The roadworks, which involve the widening of the highway from Brentwood Mall to the Chase Village Interchange in a $65 million upgrade, are months behind schedule. They were supposed to be completed on August 24.

However, according to Minister of Works and Transport Rohan Sinanan, that deadline was missed because quality standards were not met by one of the contractors, requiring it to redo some of its activities.

Additionally, ongoing construction is being fit into narrow time slots daily to avoid peak traffic times. These windows are about to get even narrower.

“Some people are complaining that it is taking too long; I find it is taking a little long,” the minister admitted in the Senate on October 21.

He said night construction would be halted until after Divali, which is on October 31. Otherwise, work will continue apace from 9 am to 2 pm daily.

If delays in this major project are due to shoddy work, then the state must share some of the blame.

Surely by this stage the relevant agencies have enough quality controls in place to detect and address issues in a timelier manner?

And surely, the issue of quality starts with the selection of a competent and qualified contractor in the first place?

And a proper scope of work?

The ministry should clarify what penalties, if any, the company will face for poor construction.

Whatever the complications of the management of this project, once it was clear the upgrade was behind schedule, a plan of action beyond merely limiting the hours of remedial activity should have been devised, given the fact that the highway is a vital part of national infrastructure.

Connecting the southern and northern regions of the country, it facilitates at least 250,000 commuters daily.

The primary activities of the ministry should not be limited to awarding contracts to build roads and to conduct repairs. A key part of its mission is supposed to be the execution of traffic alleviation initiatives.

Officials and stakeholders this week sought to engage the ministry and to put steps in place towards the effective implementation of such measures.

Yet, all this should have been thought about long before the week leading up to Divali.