Conversation Tree Street to facilitate heavy-duty vehicles

The Ministry of Public Works has said emergency repairs being done on Conversation Tree Street are expected to be completed in a fortnight and the road would reopen to heavy-duty and lightweight vehicles.

Works have started on this critical road, which served as a bypass for the Sheriff-Mandela road expansion project. The upgrades are being done through the Ministry’s Force Account.

Speaking with DPI on Thursday, Supervisor for the roadworks, Mr. Nickesh Pargoo said the upgrades would enhance the road to accommodate heavy-duty vehicles.

“What we tried to do is to mitigate some of the issues, to widen the shoulder to get a better structure because there wasn’t designed to accommodate a certain amount of traffic load. So, we are trying to put some measures in place.”

“The scope is basically to do a full reconstruction of the damaged section which is approximately 125 metres which involves… excavating fully. We had a damaged culvert. Currently, we are at the subgrade filling in the white sand,” he said.

While the recent rains have hampered the works, Mr. Pargoo is confident that the Ministry can meet its two-week deadline. He said the Ministry’s intervention will result in a much stronger and thicker asphaltic surface than the previous road.

Conversation Tree Street was closed to vehicular traffic on November 18, 2020 following immense damage by heavy-duty vehicles. Minister of Public Works, Hon. Bishop Juan Edghill had visited the damaged street and  appealed to drivers to observe the weight limits of the country’s roadways..