FOUR major oil wells have already been capped between La Brea and Point Fortin in preparation for the construction of the Solomon Hochoy Highway extension to Point Fortin.

But there has been a set back, with the discovery of pipelines not in use.

On Monday, Dr Carson Charles chairman of the National Infrastructure Development Company Ltd (Nidco) said work could not continue unless the lines were removed by State-owned Petrotrin.

He said there has also been a delay in the opening of the Golconda to Debe segment of the controversial highway project.

Charles said, "There was discovered many lines, old pipelines that were not identified by Petrotrin before and some of these lines prelude Petrotrin.

They were there before Petrotrin even existed and are not on Petrotrin's records. They (construction workers) would have just carried out an exercise of clearing the area and walking the area to find the lines."

Charles said "That has been a time consuming exercise to find the lines and we now await Petrotrin's removal of those lines. They must be removed by Petrotrin.

We cannot touch them so when those are removed then the contractor will be able to carry out the work in that area."

He said work will continue on other sections of the highway such as Golconda to Debe and in St.Mary's.

Charles said the Golonda to Debe section of the highway will not be able to be opened to traffic this month, as was expected. He said it should be opened by June even though the necessary interchanges would not be completed as yet.

The Junior Sammy Group of Companies has been hired to work with OAS Construtora the main contractor for the highway.

Capital Signal Trinidad has been given the contract to build the Godineau Bridge and other local sub contractors have also been given jobs Charles said.

Last year December, Charles said the government have agreed to start construction of the controversial highway in the borough, after several calls from Point Fortin Mayor Clyde Paul and the stalling of work on other sections because of the Highway Re-Route Movement (HRM)'s intervention.