No Date Given for Completion of Scarborough Library: Early 2014 for Shaw Park Complex.

Assembly Man Hilton Sandy.photo courtesy THA

The Division of Infrastructure and Public Utilities will push to have the Scarborough Library and the Shaw Park Cultural Complex completed in the shortest possible time, despite technical issues and budgetary shortfalls.

Speaking at the THA's Face to Face meeting at the Signal Hill Secondary School on Thursday 12th September, DIPU Secretary Hilton Sandy indicated that the Complex is facing technical issues with the contractor Nipdec, since the desired results are not being achieved. The THA had requested $75M to complete the Complex but was only allocated $8M in the national budget read earlier this week. Despite this, Mr. Sandy says the Assembly will put pressure on Nipdec to have the Complex completed in early 2014.

With respect to the Library, Mr. Sandy says the structure is 95% completed and should be handed over soon to the Division of Education, Youth Affairs and Sport for outfitting. He says when completed, the Scarborough Library will be a state of the art facility which patrons can access from remote locations.

In reporting on the DIPU's road and building maintenance programme, Mr. Sandy says the division has the manpower to complete tasks but not the amount of money that is required. However he says rehabilitation of the Claude Noel Highway, Milford Road, Lambeau Road and the L'Anse Fourmi Road will continue apace, along with construction of the Smithfield Road to Sangster's Hill bypass and the Shaw Park Roundabout. Mr. Sandy indicated as well that the Division's road paving exercise throughout Tobago's twelve constituencies will continue, along with the reconstruction of the bridges along Milford Road.

The Secretary says the Division's next major projects will be construction of the Shirvan Roundabout, the Roxborough Plaza which will provide administrative services for east Tobago, and the Charlotteville mini-mall.

Source:THA

T&TEC Backs Out Leaving THA's DIPU Responsible for Tyrone Crawford Deaths

The Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (T&TEC) is not responsible for the electrical infrastructure on the compound of the Tobago House of Assembly’s Division of Infrastructure and Public Utilities (DIPU) in Scarborough, Tobago, where 34-year-old Tyrone Crawford was electrocuted earlier this week.

Crawford, a lorry loader, and a father of two died when the cab of the truck he was touching came into contact with an electrical ground wire at the DIPU.

In a release yesterday, T&TEC stated that preliminary investigations into Tuesday’s incident revealed that the electrical infrastructure where the incident occurred belongs to the DIPU and that all overhead lines and poles on the compound are private property and therefore the responsibility of the DIPU. 

Source:trinidadexpress

Auchenskeoch Roudabout Completed-Double Lanes.

Auchenskeoch Roundabout-Double lane
Tobago. Photo taken from DIPU fb page

The Auchenskeoch Roundabout has been completed. Although no official opening ceremony, the public has been allowed to use the double lane round about much to their delight and motoring comfort. This has end months of discomfort to taxi drivers and other commuters as they had to  endure long hours in traffic, and having to use alternative routes to get to the western side of the Island.

The roundabout have occupied the political discourse for some time. At its inception the Tobago Organisation of the People (TOP)  expressed their disapproval in its construction,  suggesting the use of a traffic light system as     the better option for the motoring public. Political Leader of the TOP further attacked the Assembly when he openly criticized the use of the roundabout on a major highway in his speech at the post Budget rally in Tobago stating that he has never seen such ah thing. 

Today, traffic was seem flowing smoothly easterly and westerly, with drivers getting accustom to the road signage around the roundabout,  filtering with all ease in and out of  Carnbee.

However, the Division of Infrastructure and Public Utilities must ensure that proper lighting is placed at the round about, as on coming lights from vehicles can blind drivers without the assistance of overhead lights during hours of darkness.

The Auchenskeoch Roundabout is the second roundabout to be open by the PNM Administration in recent times, with the first being at the newly opened Scarborough Hospital. Congratulations to the Secretary of the Division of Infrastructure and Public Utilities for this timely intervention, and for attempting to implement measures that would alleviate the number of road carnage that are experienced at the junction.