THREE months ago, a landslip crumbled the roadway that connects the Charuma Junction Trace in Rio Claro, blocking at least 40 households from traversing its length and countless commuters who daily frequented the route.
The trace, also known as the Navet Short Cut, has for years been used by east coast motorists attempting to move through Tabaquite Road to other parts of the region. But last December, it began caving. By January, residents told the Express it had completely collapsed.
‘It was hollow and you could see the pipelines below. It started to break off suddenly, a quarter of the road dropped down like a sinkhole and they just blocked it,’ one resident told the Express yesterday.
Since then, residents say, representatives from the Mayaro/Rio Claro Regional Corporation visited the site, evaluated its state and returned, dropping piles of material and pipes along the roadway. A road work sign was attached to the site to warn motorists of its closure. But since then, they say, no work has been done on the caving.
‘There has been no attempt to fix it. We are seeing nothing taking place. I can’t say if they have anything on the drawing board. I live here every day and I have seen nothing taking place. People passing all day and all night have to come and turn around because there is a very small sign saying the road is closed. The whole day people are being inconvenienced. A simple thing like a large sign saying the road is closed, they didn’t do that,’ the resident told the Express.
The roadway has, over the years, seen a number of cave-ins that have had varying effects on residents, including one nearby that was repaired with a retaining wall. At least 15 homes are situated in proximity to the cave-in, though none are close enough to be severely impacted should it worsen in time, residents say.
Daily, they said, commuters venture to the point of the breakage and are forced to turn around and seek alternative routes. The nearest, the Express was told, was about five minutes away, and in poor condition.
Residents said they were appealing to the regional corporation to disclose a time-frame in which work on the roadway would be completed, and to improve signage, to avoid distress to drivers.
‘It is just an inconvenience. We are not sure what they are doing and we want to know how long it will remain like this. I have to work in Sangre Grande and I have to make the extra rounds every day just to get to work. This is where we live, this is our home, our community. Nobody wants to see it left as if they just don’t care about it. There is a landslip opposite me where a wall was built, and another one further in, but it seems as if they are not fixing anything,’ the resident said.
‘There is a process’
The Express contacted councillor for the area Hazarie Ramdeen (Rio Claro North) yesterday, who indicated a project to repair the cave-in had already been approved by the Government. ‘We are getting that organised, there is a process. We have put things together with the ministry and the engineers, and in a short time we will get that organised. They just have to get the money out and award the contract,’ he said.
Ramdeen could not confirm a time-frame for repairs, but said the corporation would consider improving the road-closure sign.
