The Churchill–Roosevelt Highway is the major east-west highway

Highway

A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...

 in Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...

. It runs for 24 km (14.9 mi) from Barataria

Barataria, Trinidad and Tobago

Barataria is a town in Trinidad and Tobago. It is just east of Port of Spain and Laventille and west of San Juan. It is part of the East-West Corridor.Barataria falls under the San Juan-Laventille Regional Corporation....

 in the west (where it joins the Beetham Highway

Beetham Highway

The Beetham Highway is a major highway in Trinidad and Tobago. It runs from Barataria into downtown Port of Spain where it meets Wrightson Road. It was constructed between 1955 and 1956....

) to Wallerfield

Wallerfield

Wallerfield is an area in Trinidad and Tobago. Located south of Arima and north of Cumuto, it served Waller Air Force Base. Since the clousure of US Army base in May 1949, it became the informal home of various types of racing for over 40 years...

 in the east (south of Arima

Arima

The Royal Borough of Arima is the fourth largest town in Trinidad and Tobago. Located east of the capital, Port of Spain, Arima supports the only organised indigenous community in the country, the Santa Rosa Carib Community and is the seat of the Carib Queen...

) where it ends in the former US Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

 base on Fort Read. It crosses the north-south Uriah Butler Highway

Uriah Butler Highway

The Uriah Butler Highway, sometimes referred to as UBH, is one of the major north-south highways in Trinidad and Tobago, named after Tubal Uriah Butler. It runs from Champs Fleur to Chaguanas where it meets the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway. It crosses the Churchill-Roosevelt Highway at Valsayn...

 (UBH) at Valsayn

Valsayn

Valsayn is a town in Trinidad and Tobago. It is located along the East-West Corridor in northern Trinidad between the Eastern Main Road, Uriah Butler Highway, Churchill-Roosevelt Highway and Curepe...

. Constructed during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 to connect the US Army base with Port of Spain

Port of Spain

Port of Spain, also written as Port-of-Spain, is the capital of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the country's third-largest municipality, after San Fernando and Chaguanas. The city has a municipal population of 49,031 , a metropolitan population of 128,026 and a transient daily population...

, the highway was named for the two wartime

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 leaders, Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...

 and Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...

.

Construction began in December 1941 and was completed in March 1942. Originally reserved for the US forces, the road was turned over to the Government of Trinidad and Tobago on October 24, 1949.

Route Description

The churchill Roosevelt begins at the Barataria interchange, where traffic from Lady Young and the Beetham join. The highway then passes south of San Juan and through the El socorro and aranjuez area. It has a massive, congested intersection at El socorro road. In order to relieve the situation, a new interchange is being constructed to replace the present intersection. Further east, the congestion with UBH at valsayn has been alleviated by a brand new flyover. The churchill roosevelt continues east pass St. Augustine, Tunapuna, Tacarigua and Trincity before narrowing to 4 lanes.After this, it circles the town of Arima and ends soon after.

Future

There are presently plans to extend Churchill Rooseevelt to Manzanilla as a world class 4 lane highway.
The Ministry of Works and Transport has also set out a plan to expand the highway from the area of the Santa Rosa Park to the Arawak processing company. The project is currently being led by JUSAMCO PAVERS LTD. (a.k.a Junior Sammy Contractors Ltd.)