Engineer Jevan Stephen, CEng MICE, R.Eng, PMP
The Board of Engineering of Trinidad and Tobago (BOETT) is pleased to feature Eng. Jevan Stephen, a Registered Engineer whose work and thought leadership have contributed significantly to advancing the understanding of infrastructure challenges in Trinidad and Tobago. As a Civil Engineer with over sixteen years of experience in infrastructure design, project management, and contract administration, Eng. Stephen brings both technical depth and practical insight to the national conversation on road development and maintenance.
Currently serving as Deputy Programme Director at the Programme for Upgrading Roads Efficiency (PURE), Eng. Stephen has played a pivotal role in the execution of more than 500 road infrastructure projects, including highways, bridges, culverts, and earth-retaining systems. His professional credentials—Chartered Civil Engineer (UK), Registered Engineer with BOETT, and Project Management Professional (PMP)—reflect a commitment to excellence and continuous professional development.
Eng. Stephen is also a respected contributor to professional discourse, as demonstrated in his recent article published in APETT’s EVOLVE Magazine, titled “Bad Roads in Trinidad and Tobago: A Symptom, Not an Ailment.” In this piece, he challenges commonly held assumptions about the causes of road deterioration, arguing that visible defects such as potholes are not the root problem, but rather the result of deeper systemic issues. His analysis highlights critical factors such as unplanned development, vehicle overloading, inadequate drainage, poor private development practices, and fragmented utility management—all of which collectively undermine the performance and longevity of the nation’s road network.
In this feature interview, BOETT engages Eng. Stephen on his professional journey, his technical perspectives on infrastructure performance, and his recommendations for addressing the underlying causes of road deterioration. His insights on the systemic challenges behind road deterioration underscore the need for a more integrated, forward-thinking approach—one that moves beyond reactive repairs and toward sustainable, well-coordinated engineering solutions for the benefit of Trinidad and Tobago.
Q1. Can you share your journey into civil engineering and what led to your involvement in road and infrastructure development?
My interest in civil engineering developed from an early fascination with how infrastructure shapes everyday life. I always had a strong affinity for Mathematics and Physics, but it was actually my brother entering The University of the West Indies to pursue engineering that first exposed me to the profession and helped solidify my decision to follow that career path.
After completing A’ Levels at Fatima College and attaining a National Scholarship, I entered the Civil Engineering Programme at The University of the West Indies. Interestingly, my initial passion was not roads and highway infrastructure, but structural analysis and design. However, my Final Year Design Project ultimately set me on the path I am currently on. The project involved feasibility studies and engineering designs for the upgrade of the Macoya Intersection along the Churchill–Roosevelt Highway.
During that process, I was introduced to the PURE Unit within the Ministry of Works and Transport. I was intrigued not only by the scale and complexity of the road infrastructure projects being undertaken, but also by the multidisciplinary nature of infrastructure delivery. That experience motivated me to seek employment there after graduation.
I was fortunate to integrate quickly into the profession and gained invaluable exposure to engineering design, project management, contract administration, and construction supervision. Since then, my appreciation for infrastructure engineering and its impact on national development has only continued to grow.
Q2. You have worked on over 500 road infrastructure projects—what experiences have most shaped your approach to engineering practice?
One of the most influential lessons I learned came very early in my career while working on the designs for the Aranguez Parallel Access Project, which involved upgrading existing roads and constructing new ones to support access to the Aranguez Overpass. Because the overpass itself was being designed by an international consultant, our team had to work closely with foreign engineers to integrate both projects seamlessly.
During that period, one of my mentors instilled a mindset that has stayed with me throughout my career. He reminded me never to feel intimidated simply because an engineer is from another country, because the fundamental principles of engineering remain the same regardless of where one practices. More importantly, he encouraged me to “act like I belong.”
That advice was extremely important. It challenged the perception that can sometimes exist within the local psyche that foreign expertise is inherently superior, while also eliminating any space for imposter syndrome to take hold. From that experience onward, I approached my career with the belief that local engineers are fully capable of producing work of an international standard.
That confidence, combined with strong mentorship and practical experience, has significantly shaped my approach to engineering practice and reinforced my belief that Trinidad and Tobago possesses exceptional engineering talent capable of delivering world-class infrastructure solutions.
Q3. Your article in APETT’s EVOLVE magazine suggests that poor road conditions are “a symptom, not an ailment”—could you elaborate on what you mean by this?
Poor road conditions are often treated as isolated failures caused solely by poor workmanship or inadequate repairs. In reality, potholes and pavement defects are usually symptoms of deeper systemic issues such as poor drainage, overloaded vehicles, unplanned development, utility leaks, and weak coordination between agencies. If those underlying issues are not addressed, roads will continue to deteriorate prematurely regardless of how often they are rehabilitated.
Q4. Why do you believe the common perception that poor construction is the main cause of road failure is misplaced?
As mentioned in the article, poor construction can certainly contribute to premature failure, but it is often overstated as the primary cause. Even a well-constructed road will deteriorate rapidly if it is exposed to chronic water infiltration, overloaded trucks, or repeated utility cuts or if they have inadequate foundation layers. In many cases, roads are failing because they are operating under conditions they were never designed to accommodate. Failures due to these extreme conditions are often misconstrued as due to poor construction practices.
Q5. What are the most critical underlying issues contributing to road deterioration in Trinidad and Tobago?
The most significant issues are inadequate drainage, overloaded heavy vehicles, unplanned development, utility trenching and poor reinstatement, and water leakage from buried mains. These factors collectively weaken pavement structures and significantly shorten roadway lifespan.
Q6. How does unplanned development compromise the structural integrity of roads?
Many roads were originally constructed to serve agricultural or low-density residential areas. As such, the underlying pavement foundations were weak or, in some instances, non-existent. Over time, development intensity increased without corresponding upgrades to the pavement structure or drainage systems. As traffic loading increases—particularly from commercial activity and heavy vehicles—the original road foundation becomes inadequate, leading to accelerated deterioration.
Q7. Could you explain the exponential relationship between axle load and pavement damage in simple terms?
Road damage is not linear and, in fact, increases much faster than vehicle weight. For example, if a truck axle carries twice the intended load, it does not cause twice the damage as would be expected in a linear relationship. Rather, it can cause several times more damage, by as much as a factor of 16. This means even moderate overloading can dramatically increase damage to the road structure thereby reducing pavement life and increasing maintenance costs.
Q8. How critical is drainage design in road performance, particularly in clay-rich soils?
Drainage is absolutely fundamental to pavement performance. Water is one of the greatest threats to roadway integrity since saturation causes the soil to lose strength and deform under traffic loading. This is particularly critical in clay-rich soils, which are common in parts of central and south Trinidad, since these soil types do not drain easily or rapidly. Therefore, any water entering the pavement structure tends to remain for extended periods keeping the soil in a state of saturation. So once water enters the pavement structure, deterioration accelerates rapidly.
Q9. What are the most common drainage-related failures you encounter in practice?
Common drainage issues include blocked roadside drains, poor invert grading, inadequate outfalls, and erosion which often causes surface runoff to stagnate or back up. As a result, water infiltrates beneath pavements leading to common defects such as deformations, alligator cracking and potholes. In many cases, road defects that appear to be surface problems are actually drainage failures beneath the roadway.
Another critical aspect of poor drainage lies with the systems, or lack thereof, within the boundaries of private properties. Where roadways lie on undulating or steep terrain, lack of guttering and internal drainage to adequately treat with stormwater from roofs and within the property can cause slope instabilities leading to partial or full roadway collapse. Even the choice of septic system can be problematic. Soak aways, which are a common feature of local septic systems, only function efficiently in well-drained soils. If placed in clay-rich soils, a common practice locally, the effluent remains within the soil upper soil strata and in sloping lands can also lead to instabilities and landslips.
Q10. You identified buried utilities and poor reinstatement as major contributors—what systemic changes are needed to address this?
There needs to be stronger coordination between utility agencies and road authorities, along with stricter enforcement of reinstatement standards. Trench reinstatement should be treated as a legitimate engineering activity requiring proper analysis and design, rather than simply being executed using generic standard details.
For example, the pavement structure required for reinstatement along a major roadway will differ significantly from that of a tertiary road due to variations in traffic loading. Proper pavement designs should therefore be undertaken to determine the appropriate foundation and asphalt layer thicknesses necessary to ensure long-term performance and durability.
Additionally, reinstatement works should be supervised and formally approved by the agency responsible for the roadway under whose jurisdiction the works are being executed. This would allow greater emphasis to be placed on material quality, construction practices, compaction, testing, and inspection throughout the reinstatement process. Ultimately, improving oversight and engineering standards is critical to ensuring the longevity and performance of reinstated road sections.
Q11. How can agencies like WASA, T&TEC, and TSTT better coordinate their works to reduce road damage?
Improved planning and information sharing are essential. Utility agencies and road authorities should coordinate utility works before major road rehabilitation projects commence so that roads are not repeatedly excavated shortly after completion. Shared utility corridors and better asset mapping would also significantly reduce unnecessary roadway disturbance.
Coordination can be further improved through formal consultation during the design phase of road projects. This would allow utility agencies to identify ageing infrastructure or planned upgrades early so that necessary utility works can be completed before road rehabilitation begins. Regular inter-agency coordination meetings and centralised databases of utility locations and planned works would also help minimise conflicts, reduce delays, and improve accountability.
Ultimately, roads and utilities should not be managed as separate systems, but as interconnected components of the same national infrastructure network.
Q12. What standards or enforcement mechanisms should be strengthened in trench reinstatement practices?
Greater emphasis should be placed on compaction testing, material quality control, asphalt joint construction, and post-reinstatement inspections. There should also be clear accountability mechanisms where agencies or contractors are responsible for defects that develop within a defined period after reinstatement.
Q13. In your opinion, what are the key policy gaps affecting road infrastructure performance in Trinidad and Tobago?
Some of the major gaps involve land-use planning, enforcement of axle load regulations, utility coordination, and long-term asset management planning. Infrastructure is often approached reactively rather than strategically, with greater focus placed on repairs after failure instead of preventing deterioration beforehand.
Q14. How can data, technology, and modern engineering practices improve road asset management?
Modern asset management relies heavily on data collection and predictive maintenance, which is severely deficient in Trinidad and Tobago. Technologies such as pavement condition surveys, GIS mapping, drone inspections, and traffic monitoring can help agencies prioritise interventions before failures become severe. It must be stressed that road pavements do not deteriorate linearly with respect to time and therefore if one waits too long beyond a critical threshold, repairs become exponentially more expensive. Therefore, timely intervention supported by data driven decision making leads to more efficient use of limited resources and improved long-term performance.
Q15. What has been your most challenging infrastructure project, and what did it teach you?
The most technically challenging, yet ultimately most rewarding, infrastructure project I have undertaken was the construction of the Valencia Bypass in east Trinidad. I had oversight of the project from its earliest stages and led virtually every aspect of its development, including route selection, engineering design (pavement, geometric, structural, and drainage), EMA approvals, stakeholder engagement, utility coordination, project costing, tender preparation and evaluation, and ultimately supervision of both the project team and contractor during execution.
Given the scale of the project—a TT$100 million undertaking—and its close proximity to the Aripo Savannas, an environmentally sensitive area, the project presented a unique combination of technical, environmental, and social challenges beyond the engineering considerations alone. Additionally, a significant number of squatters had to be relocated to facilitate construction, which added further complexity to project execution and stakeholder management.
Because of my extensive involvement from conceptualisation through to completion, the project became one of the most formative experiences of my career. It taught me not only the importance of sound engineering design and problem-solving under constraints, but also the value of collaboration, communication, and effective leadership when managing multidisciplinary teams and complex infrastructure projects. It laid a very strong foundation for my professional growth and significantly shaped my approach to engineering practice and project delivery.
Q16. Finally, if you could implement one major reform to improve road infrastructure in Trinidad and Tobago, what would it be?
The single most impactful reform would be the implementation of a truly integrated infrastructure management framework where planning authorities, utility agencies, road authorities, and regulators coordinate proactively rather than operating in independent silos. Many of the issues affecting road performance are interconnected, and lasting improvement will only come through coordinated, systems-based decision-making.
The establishment of a dedicated Road Authority would go a long way toward achieving such a framework. It would create a centralised platform for information sharing among road agencies and utility companies, facilitate the standardisation of specifications and engineering methodologies, and improve coordination of roadway reinstatement works undertaken by third parties. It could also strengthen research and development efforts by allowing for the monitoring and evaluation of emerging technologies, materials, and maintenance practices under local conditions.
Ultimately, effective infrastructure management requires continuity, coordination, and long-term strategic planning. A properly structured Road Authority could provide the institutional framework necessary to support those objectives and improve the overall performance and longevity of the nation’s road network.