A social media firestorm erupted yesterday after a landslip mere metres away from the recently-opened Golconda Interchange caused a portion of the shoulder of the highway to collapse.
Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms were abuzz with rumours that a portion of the interchange, which was formally opened last month by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, had collapsed.
However, National Infrastructure Development Company (Nidco) chairman, Dr Carson Charles, yesterday dismissed social media rumours of the collapse, telling the T&T Guardian the issue being blown out of proportion. “It was just a crack by a small landslip on the eastern side of the highway,” Charles said. “It was caused by heavy rains undermining earthen drains at the bottom of the embankment.”
Facebook users commenting on the T&T Guardian’s post about the collapse seized the opportunity to show support for Highway Re-route Movement leader Dr Wayne Kublalsingh. Kublalsingh has been on a hunger strike for the past 58 days, calling for mediation on the Debe to Mon Desir leg of the extension of the Sir Solomon Highway to Point Fortin. The shoulder collapsed sometime during the morning period, the T&T Guardian was told. HRM members alerted the media to the situation.
The T&T Guardian visited the scene shortly after noon and saw five employees of Brazilian firm, Construtora OAS Ltd, at the site. They refused to speak to the T&T Guardian and walked away.
Workers also stopped an excavator which was on site and operating. The collapsed portion of the shoulder was hidden under white tarpaulin which was held down by cement. The area was blocked off with concrete barriers and large traffic cones.
In a release yesterday, Nidco confirmed there was a “minor landslip” along the Golconda to Debe segment. The landslip, it added, occurred approximately 400 metres south of the Papourie Road underpass, on the south-bound carriageway of the extension and occurred because of water seeping into the bottom of the embankment due to incomplete drains in the area.
Yesterday, Charles said that may have happened due to the current drainage system. “Anywhere you have earthen drains this can happen but this is not affecting the highway in any way,” he said.
Charles said OAS was supposed to pave the drains but that was not done yet. “The contractor was supposed to pave the drains, after that (paving) is done there will be no more problems. This has nothing to do with the structure of the highway. It is a drainage problem,” he added.
He said the contractor was working feverishly to rectify the problem. “The contractor went in to make sure the landslip is stopped,” he said. He said no retaining wall would be put up because once the drain was paved the issue would be resolved.
HRM: Poor studies done
Highway Re-route Movement (HRM) member Vishal Boodhai, who spoke to the media yesterday at the site of the collapsed shoulder, knocked the Government for failing to carry out proper scientific studies before beginning construction. Boodhai said about 100 feet of the shoulder had collapsed. He said: “The HRM is very disturbed about what transpired here today, where almost 100 feet of the shoulder of the Debe-Goloconda highway caved in. “They basically did some work to mask the damages that happened this morning and they put some plastic and cemented it into place to hide what happened.”
Boodhai said yesterday’s incident was a perfect example of the need for scientific studies before beginning construction on such a large project. He added: “We were always lobbying for scientific studies to be undertaken before any construction was started. “Today we see a perfect example of what happens when you don't do the proper studies before embarking on a project of this size. “We see the most expensive highway on planet earth. It’s not even finished and we are already seeing signs of it falling apart.”