Driving around Trinidad the past few days, on the larger island of Trinidad and Tobago. I've been working in the Port-of-Spain and Barataria area after arriving at Piarco International Airport.
- They drive on the left side of the road; there are some left-hand-drive vehicles (with decals denoting this to other drivers).
- Metric system, not surprisingly.
- No visible route numbers to denote one road from another, but most roads/streets in cities and towns seem to have names.
- Some of the major routes have been renamed for famous individuals to Trinidad.
Signage standards seem to follow a basic pattern; Arial/Helvetica seems to be the typeface of choice.
- White lettering on blue for most large signage, although some intersections are denoted by black letter on a white field.
- Regulatory signage is black on white, with the shape of the sign is bordered in red, vaguely similar to European standards.
- Advisory signs seem to be blue with white symbols, although some are red with white symbols.
- Many sign poles use a black and white striping pattern.
- Most everything that appears to be recent, or on major roads is retroreflective.
Well, here's a sign welcoming you at the airport; I couldn't find a road sign that conveyed the same sort of message, but it's an island, not a "state line".
The main east-west route is called Churchill Roosevelt Highway, or CRH, for short. It’s expressway grade, with some grade separations, but some traffic lights. This is as I’m leaving the Piarco International Airport (POS – Port of Spain); leading west:
This was the only example of an “upcoming exits” sign that I saw. it also lets you know the Port of Spain is up ahead; it is the island’s capital.
Uriah Butler Highway is the predominant north-south highway. It is the only place in the nation where two limited-access highways join.
I was told that the intersection used to be a huge traffic jam at all times of day, with several traffic lights. When the lights were discarded a few years ago, they were rearranged into a “traffic light tree” sculpture:
Churchill Roosevelt Highway "becomes" Beetham Highway, which isn't quite expressway grade, but still a major thoroughfare.
Variable Message Boards have green lighting. Note the round speed limit signs.
Arrows on both sides of the upcoming street names seems to be a common design.
Keep Left...although it's not uncommon to use that side of the road as a "pick-up-and-drop-off" lane, so watch out!
In Port-of-Spain (sometimes hyphenated, sometimes not), Beetham becomes Wrightson Road. Here's a daytime shot:
Downtown Port-of-Spain at night, and daytime - Wrightson Road is along the bottom:
Back on Wrightson Road, headed northwest.
Shopping areas set off from the main road sometimes have traffic calming devices with HUMP denoted:
I'm not much of a traffic light fan, but the pipe works on this assembly looked interesting.
A split denoting Beetham Highway and Quay Road, in white. Round median caution sign.
Back on Beetham Highway, headed eastbound.
Nearing the "end" of Beetham Road.
Gore point signage for eastern Main Road. The obscured sign says "Caution - Reduce Speed along shoulder for 1km".
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Topic: Trinidad (Read 12086 times)