Heavy rains and rising flood waters yesterday led to the collapse of a large portion of the Manzanilla/Mayaro Main Road, cutting off the already flood-ravaged Mayaro area. Last night the road remained cordoned off with police barriers placed across the roadway to prevent motorists from driving on the remaining portion of the road. The Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, in a release yesterday, advised the public that the road had been closed until further notice. “This closure is due to the structural breaches that occurred as a result of the inclement weather experienced today (yesterday),” the release said.
Yesterday, the two-lane road, which is the main artery between Mayaro and Sangre Grande, was reduced to one lane as flood waters undermined and washed large chunks of asphalt onto the nearby coastline. The ministry release, which was issued by Director of Highways Roger Ganesh, advised motorists to use Rio Claro and the Cunapo Southern Main Road as alternative routes. It said an assesment of the damage with a view to beginning repairs will be conducted today.
The ministry also “strongly cautions against citizens journeying to the area to take photographs or obtain a firsthand view of the incident.” Last night, CNC3 reported that relief crews on their way to render assistance to flood-affected Mayaro residents were forced to turn back and use an alternative route because of the collapsed roadway, which is located one mile away from the Manzanilla beach facility.
The damage, which was reportedly observed by residents around 10 pm on Saturday, began at lightpole 207 and continues for a quarter of a mile. The T&T Guardian understands that Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM) chairman Dr Stephen Ramroop has raised the emergency level to level two following the collapse of the roadway and the rising floodwaters.
Yesterday, Mayaro MP Winston” Gypsy” Peters, in CNC3 interview, said the road is impassable. He said the community of Cedar Grove in Mayaro is only accessible by boat. Works Minister Dr Suruj Rambachan also told CNC3 the damage to the road was extensive and that Works Ministry staff were to visit the scene and assess the damage. He said repair works should begin today once the weather permits.