Our Transportation System Is in Crisis
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OurOur Transportation Transportation System System is is in in Crisis Crisis – - 15035276 What’s in a name? It is between Barataria and Uriah Butler Highway extension, selected to remember an Wallerfield (with six divided and now simply the UBH. individual or place at a specific lanes in some segments, and four Wrightson Road is 2.5 km time due to the recognition of a divided lanes in others). long in POS from St Vincent significant action or According to Michael Anthony Street in the east to O’Connor achievement. Documenting this in Historical Dictionary of Street in the west. Sir Walsh remembrance constitutes history. Trinidad and Tobago (2001), it Wrightson was an Englishman During the lifetime of the person was built at a two-lane, two-way, who held the post of Director of or place, and action or single carriageway by the US Public Works of the Government achievement, it is our memory armed forces in 1942, and named from 1895 to 1907. He was that keeps these pieces together. after the two wartime leaders, responsible for the construction, When forgotten or changed, Winston Churchill and Franklin in 1900, of the original history is dealt a fatal blow. D. Roosevelt. It was originally Wrightson Road. He built this The new four-lane highway reserved for connectivity to their road from the western end of from San Fernando to Point army bases, but it was handed Charles Street to gain access to Fortin, when completed will be over to the Government of TnT town’s sewerage pumping the longest roadway ever in 1949. station sited at Mucurapo Point constructed at a single period in The formal naming of the on the Maraval River. The road TnT, at more than 30 km. In a San Fernando-Point Fortin followed a path along the sea few months a name will be given Highway might come after many shore on the Woodbrook Estate. to it. Will it be according to the years, and so in the rest of this At that time its length was 1.6 tradition of southern roads, by article I would like to express km. naming them through connecting caution in so doing. Sometime around the period the key places, such as San The name George the Fifth 1938-1940, the entire “sea-edge” Fernando-Siparia-Erin Road (SS Park in POS was recently Wrightson Road was planned, Erin Rd), or Naparima-Mayaro changed to Mandela Park. I have designed and re-built as a dual Road, etc.? So, can we expect heard that it was first known as carriageway highway by a young the San Fernando-Point Fortin Pompeii Park (pronounced Public Works engineer from Highway? Or, will the process be locally, Pom-pee-eye). I am sure India, and transformed into a more complex, and it will be that each name has its own route connecting the east and named after an individual, or significance and purpose, but is west communities, including the individuals? Or, would it be an it right to simply replace names immediate local roads in additional extension of the because it is convenient? Should Woodbrook, and the recently re- Solomon Hochoy Highway? historical recognition of a person claimed lands its southern side. The Solomon Hochoy or place be only for a time? If so, Ranjit Kumar (1912-1982) Highway is also a four-lane I think there should be clear was born in the Punjab State in highway 30 km long between justification. India, and migrated as a young Chaguanas and Golconda. It was Likewise, when the two-lane, child to the UK. He graduated as originally built in the 1970s from two-way, single carriageway a civil engineer from the Chaguanas to Tarouba for a Princess Margaret Highway Imperial College of Science. length of 25 km, and named after between Chaguanas and the He was certainly a pioneer in Sir Solomon Hochoy, the last CRH was expanded to four the field of civil engineering in British Governor of TnT and our divided lanes in the mid-1980s, it TnT, particularly in constructing first Governor-General. The was renamed the Uriah Butler highways in mangrove terrain, as highway was extended in 2001 Highway. Later, when that in the 1940’s this project was to Golconda. highway was extended to the deemed almost impossible. It is The Churchill-Roosevelt Eastern Main Road in Champ said that when the Americans Highway (CRH) is also a multi- Fleurs, it was referred to as the had decided to extend Wrightson lane highway 24 km long Road eastwards, he was hired as a consultant to work on the the National Highway project. Programme; Dr. Trevor Engineer Kumar entered Townsend – Chief Traffic politics in 1943 served in the Engineer; Kenrick Burgess – POS City Council and the Director of the National Legislative Council of Trinidad Highway Programme; Roger and Tobago. In 1950, Ranjit Israel – Chief Traffic Engineer Kumar Street in St. James was and Deputy Permanent named in his honour. There is Secretary; Leverson Boodlal – also a village in Gasparillo, Chief Traffic Engineer and Chief known as Kumar Village, said to Planning Engineer; Rudin Austin be named after him. – Director of Maintenance and The upgrade of Wrightson Deputy Permanent Seceretary; Road has served as an important James Howard (dec) – Director influence in commercial and of Highways and Deputy financial development, including Permanent Secretary; Solomon hotels and conference facilities. Sun Kow – Chief Technical There would certainly be no Officer; Dr. Carson Charles – Audrey Jeffers Highway with it. Engineer and Minister of Works; The Audrey Jeffers Highway and, Roger Ganesh – Director of is a 3 km four-lane divided Ganesh. I have not put their highway connecting Wrightson names to embarrass them, but I Road and Western Main Road. It know much of our decision is named in honour of Mrs. making is not on a technical Audrey Jeffers, who was born in basis. Those who are alive are Woodbrook, and became a well- important resource persons. They accomplished social worker, and hold much technical and TnT’s first female Member of historical information. Parliament in 1946. Shaffie Khan was the father So, Ramjit Kumar was an of Minister Dr. Fuad Khan and engineering innovator, and then businessman, Alberuni Khan. a Member of Parliament in 1943. When he retired as Chief Roads During my tenure with the Planning Engineer, he passed on Ministry of Works, I had the all his notes to me – not even to good fortune of knowing and his children. I plan to use this working with several bosses, and other information in the leaders, colleagues, and mentors, future. some of whom have passed on, Next week, historical fatal retired, and some are about to flaws in Chaguanas. retire. Names that come readily to mind are Curtis Knight (dec) – e-mail: [email protected] engineer par excellence; Derek Comissiong – Chief Technical Officer; Joseph Allard – Director of Highways; Hilton Charles – Director of Highways; Shaffie Khan – Chief Planning Engineer (Roads); Rossini Castro – Chief Bridges Engineer and Director of .