Heavy rainfall causes city gridlock

Commuters and motorists faced transportation problems yesterday as rain and flash floods caused a gridlock in Port-of-Spain and environs. Traffic was backed up after midday showers along the Western Main Road, St James, the Eastern Main Road,  Lady Young Road, around the Queen’s Park Savannah, Wrightson Road and Beetham Highway.

Commuters claimed they were stranded at City Gate as traffic ground to a halt. However, some motorists reported traffic was unhindered from Tunapuna to Arima, along the Churchill-Roosevelt Highway. Parliament also was affected as a drainpipe, carrying rain water off Tower D of the Warerfront Centre, burst, causing a steady flow of water into the lobby area of the ground floor.

A media release from the Parliament yesterday evening stated the problem was being rectified. Sports events at the Queen’s Park Oval and the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, also were hampered by the rain. The fourth day’s play in the second Test match between West Indies and Australia was called off after lunch after heavy showers left the field waterlogged.

The British High Commission also held a commemorative event at the stadium to mark 100 days before the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games. This, however, started late because of the traffic chaos. Motorists also stated the unseasonal rains caused traffic congestion along Wrightson Road, Ariapita Avenue and all connecting back streets in west Port-of-Spain.

“Cars were inching along Tragarete Road and it was real bad traffic but I don’t travel there normally in the afternoon,” a commuter said. However, when contacted senior police officers said the traffic problem “was normal during the evening peak time.”