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A boardwalk has been included in a critical coastal line erosion project currently being undertaken by the Ministry of Works and Transport along the Manzanilla/Mayaro Road, near the popular river mouth site where the Nariva River meets the sea.
Minister of Works and Transport Rohan Sinanan told T&T Guardian that the project began at this point of the coastline because it had reached a critical stage where the sea was just three metres from the roadway. He added that the project will continue along the coastline to Mayaro to address the rapid erosion that is taking place along this stretch of coastline.
Sinanan said apart from retaining stone walls for the prevention of the sea erosion, a boardwalk will also be constructed. This, he said, will enhance the aesthetic environment for local and foreign visitors as help bring some sustainable income for vendors of the community, who will gain clientèle from those who visit the site.
The contract is being undertaken by Namalco Construction Services Ltd. Candice Gray-Bernard, the manager of the Ministry of Works and Transport’s Critical Coastal Protection Project, told T&T Guardian the stretch from Manzanilla Beach right on to Point Radix has been going through some dynamic changes as a result of the rapid erosion that has become noticeable.
She said Sinanan assigned his technical team to immediately take the necessary action to stop the erosion along the roadway, since it was the main route from Sangre Grande to Manzanilla/Mayaro and is used by thousands of commuters.
Gray-Bernard said they were seeing erosion at the Manzanilla Beach, Le Branch River, Nariva River near what is called the “River Mouth”, a popular area for local and foreign visitors, and at Point Radix.
She said the area called the Coconut Grave Yard is also being undermined, resulting in the loss of many coconut trees, so the ministry saw the urgency of preventing a major problem and decided to embark on the project. She said 10-11 years ago the sand at the river mouth in Manzanilla was level to the sea wall but today is now below the seawall. This, she said, shows how much sand is lost as a result of coastal erosion, but noted it was now becoming a danger to the major roadway as the sea level is as close as three metres from the road.
Gray-Bernard said a feasibility study was done on the coastline by Jamaican firm Smith Warner International and all environmental laws will be followed according to Environmental Management Authority guidelines.
Noting that the community can be prone to flooding, she said the ministry will make every effort to complete the project before the height of the rainy and hurricane season.
RALPH BANWARIE