"EASY enough" was how visually impaired Yvette Francis, 52, described her slow paced crossing of the Powder Magazine Phase Two Pedestrian Overpass on Saturday.

The completion of the $4 million overpass touched Francis in a very real way, as her son, Allister, became a road fatality on the very site two years ago.

Francis told the Express that Allister, 28, was knocked down by a speeding vehicle while he was waiting to cross the Diego Martin highway.

Francis, one of the first users of the commissioned overpass, said she was "really thankful" but could not wait for it to become more accessible to her differently-abled counterparts.

Minister of Works and Transport, Colm Imbert, officially opened the controversial overpass, as several members of the Trinidad and Tobago Chapter of Disabled Peoples International (TTDPI) waited in their wheelchairs to confront him.

Indira Mendoza, chairperson of TTDPI North, last week criticised the stair-filled structure.

In his speech, Imbert addressed the concerns, saying "with due consideration for the needs of the differenty-abled, the structure will be outfitted shortly with an international standard purpose-built elevator, one on each side, designed for individuals with special needs".

He said the elevators are scheduled to be constructed within a three-month time frame and are expected to cost $1 million to install.

Imbert said the overpass also met the international standard clearance for facilities of that nature, with a distance of close to 20 feet to allow heavy construction equipment to pass without difficulty. He added there was also sufficient space provided for the future construction of a third lane on both sides of the highway.

Mendoza listened to Imbert's "first world solutions" but asked that the elevator's design be approved by the TTDPI first. Imbert agreed.

Even as the overpass was provided as an option, some pedestrians still preferred to run across the busy highway. Imbert said to counteract that problem a fence would be constructed to force the pedestrians, up to 1000 people a day, to use the safer alternative.