The Curepe Interchange

The Churchill Roosevelt Highway-CRH/Southern Main Road-SMR Curepe Flyover and Ancillary Works (or “the Curepe Interchange”) is the current phase of interchange improvement projects being implemented as part of the larger East-West Corridor Expansion and Improvement Works Programme. This ongoing Programme was initiated as a solution to alleviating traffic congestion along the CRH, with the elimination of traffic signals along the corridor and the upgrade of intersections. Commuters who traverse the east-west corridor every day will understand the criticality of an interchange at the CRH/SMR intersection. This is further underscored by recent traffic volume data. In 2012 we undertook a traffic study to assess the impact of the proposed interchange at Churchill Roosevelt Highway/Southern Main Road in Curepe. We collected and analysed traffic volume data and made some projections (using a 2% volume increase per year) for year 2040. What we found was that :–
Morning delays through the Curepe intersection on CRH would decrease from 677 seconds (about 11 minutes) per vehicle in 2012, to 19 seconds per vehicle in 2040.

Afternoon delays would decrease even more dramatically, from 1317 seconds (about 22 minutes) per vehicle in 2012 to 19 seconds per vehicle in 2040.
On the Southern Main Road, morning delays would decrease from 575 seconds (about 9.5 minutes) per vehicle in 2012, to 35 seconds per vehicle in 2040.
Afternoon delays would decrease from 1263 seconds (about 21 minutes) per vehicle in 2012 to 66 seconds (about 1 minute) per vehicle in 2040.
This is the kind of data that will be incorporated into the design of this interchange.


The Scope of Works : -
• Construction of an overpass with two clover leaf sections at the intersection of CRH and SMR, Curepe and other ramps;
• Widening and re-alignment of the CRH to accommodate six lanes and frontage roads north and south of the CRH;
• Construction of a roundabout in the south-eastern quadrant near Kay Donna; and
• Re-alignment of Southern Main Road.
As the state company responsible for the implementation of large-scale transportation infrastructure works NIDCO, through the Ministry of Works and Transport, was given responsibility for the execution of this project. Specifically, NIDCO is responsible for the procurement of a design-build contractor and other related services as well as for the overall management of the project through to completion.


Benefits of the Project
In addition to bringing much needed relief to the thousands of motorists who travel along the CRH each day, the Curepe Interchange Project is expected to generate major activity in an otherwise sluggish construction sector. Commercial opportunities will redound to small contractors, skilled and unskilled workers and the business community, in general, throughout the life of the project.