By Clint Chan Tack Thursday, August 28 2008

PHASE ONE of the rapid rail project is on track and on course to become the backbone of public transportation in the country, Works and Transport Minister Colm Imbert promised yesterday.

Imbert said the rail system backed the new water taxi service and the Uriah Butler/Churchill Roosevelt highways interchange is expected to help ease the traffic gridlock on the nation’s roads.

Recalling that the Government signed a design-build-operate and maintain contract with the Trinitrain consortium for the rapid rail project on April 11, Imbert said phase one, the design and planning, was well under way. “We should have a good idea of the station locations, the route alignment and details of the other elements by next year 2009,” the minister stated.

Speaking yesterday at a ceremony to mark the final push of the interchange’s 600-metre steel bridge at the Uriah Butler/Churchill Roosevelt highways intersection, Imbert disclosed that Government hopes to acquire a fourth interim vessel for the water taxi service within the next two months and award a contract for four new water taxi vessels by December 31.

Three interim water taxis arrived in the country from Europe on June 30. Imbert said the fourth interim vessel has been identified and “if all goes well,” it will arrive in Trinidad and Tobago within two months. He said once appropriate refurbishment works are done, the long-awaited water-taxi service’s first leg from Port-of-Spain to San Fernando should begin “before the end of the year.

“The procurement exercise for the additional four new vessels...is also well advanced and we expect to award a contract for the construction of the water taxi vessels by the end of this year.”

The minister added that this would eventually bring the total number of vessels for the water taxi service to eight.

Imbert said once completed, the interchange will reduce traffic congestion during peak hours and added that the “final push” yesterday meant the highest level of the three-level interchange is almost complete.

The second level will carry the Uriah Butler Highway over the Churchill Roosevelt Highway while the Churchill Roosevelt Highway will constitute the third level on the ground.

The highest level of the interchange will accommodate three lanes of traffic but Imbert said only two lanes would be opened initially. He said the final lane will be opened once the southbound part of the Uriah Butler Highway is increased to four lanes.