THA Secretary of Infrastructure, Quarries and Urban Development Trevor James said the $70 million Friendship Connector Road project will not be stymied by lengthy consultations.

“We just don’t have time for that,” James said during an interview with Tobago Updates on February 27.

A media release from the division recently said the project is 75 per cent complete and is anticipated to be completed by the end of March.

The release said paving started at Shirvan to Store Bay Local Road Connector, Friendship and at present, two layers of asphalt are being laid along the 2.7 km dual-lane road.

But the project could hit a stumbling block as some residents who have to relocate to accommodate the road have yet to relocate.

Newsday understands that one resident has threatened to take legal action.

James said the current administration wants to advance Tobago’s development using the design-build-finance model.

“We’re trying to expedite works that have been long outstanding by selecting a procurement modality that shortens the duration of the project,” he said.

On the issue of people residing on land which will be used for roads, James said, “We’ve had ongoing consultation with people claiming to have been squatting on the (Friendship) Estate.

“We’ve had consultation with a gentleman who says he has a legal right to be on Kilgwyn Estate.

“We’ve had conversation with another gentleman who has a house on the road reserve, and that process of finalising these issues is near.

“We’ve had conversation with the owner of Kilgwyn Estate with a view of compensating him for the area taken for the road.

“Of course, some would say take four years and do those consultations and then start. We just don’t have time for that.”

James denied taking a bullish approach.

He said, “No, as we build the road, issues arise, and we deal with them.”

He was adamant that one family on the Friendship Estate has no rights to the land as it was acquired by the State in 2009.

“All rights to anyone on the land before that became null and void. We know for a fact that to have rights on state land, you have to be there for 32 years.”

[caption id="attachment_1066512" align="alignnone" width="806"] Secretary of Infrastructure, Quarries and Urban Development Trevor James - THA[/caption]

He insisted that the current THA administration is treating residents better than the PNM-led central government treated Canaan/Bon Accord residents affected by the airport expansion project.

“We have demonstrated by our actions that we are a caring government that wants the best for Tobago.”

James also dismissed criticism that the THA did not have Town and Country approval for the project, saying that none was required.

He said it was simply media houses in Trinidad looking for bacchanal in Tobago.

He claimed only PNM Tobagonians are seeking to stop Tobago’s development.

“We continue to allow people to present info that judged the PNM administration differently from others. The PNM built that road from Gardenside (Scarborough) to the