The man who changed the way our roads were built

Feb 27, 2011 News

---

Philip Allsopp is a ‘Special Person’

“It (a stint with the US Dept. of Public Works) was excellent training and I managed to see firsthand in five states, the way the Americans built their roads. That invaluable experience served me well throughout my career.”

By Leonard Gildarie

It is said that a man’s life is characterised by his work. Afterall, it is arguably the most tangible of any legacy. For Philip Allsopp, his work is his life and at 85, with his erect, military-like stature, there seems to be no stopping him.
His admirable career has spanned over six decades, including the construction of several roads across the country – the highpoint being the designing and overseeing works on the Soesdyke/Linden highway – and serving in the diplomatic service.
He helped negotiations to pinpoint the current location of the Takutu Bridge, which links Guyana to Brazil, and initially started talks for the Guyana/Suriname ferry.
Philip Allsopp’s contributions as an engineer has been so highly recognised by his peers that the Guyana Association of Professional Engineers (GAPE), of which he has been a longstanding member, has asked him to write a history of civil engineering locally.
When Guyana was desirous of hosting World Cup cricket matches in 2007, the local organisers turned to Allsopp for guidance and he helped in the preparation of bid documents that were instrumental in ensuring success.

But, for all his work, perhaps what Allsopp is best known for is his input that forever changed the way roads were built in Guyana.
This week, Kaieteur News has chosen the respected engineer as its ‘Special Person’, not only for his sterling contributions to his country, but for living the Guyana dream.
I met Mr. Allsopp for the first time last week at his museum-like home in Kingston, adjacent to the St Joseph Mercy Hospital. His residence is an art lover’s dream with intricate carvings, paintings and albums filled with historical photographs. Allsopp even had a spade used for the groundbreaking ceremony of the Linden Highway, back in the 1960s.
With respect to his physical condition, it is hard to believe that he is in his 80s. His memory is crystal clear and he rattles off dates and names with a fluency that contestants of the hit show, Jeopardy, would yearn.
EARLY LIFE
Philip Allsopp grew up in Charlestown with his siblings and parents. His father was an accountant for the gold and diamond industry, and also worked part-time weighing rice and sugar for the government and millers. His mother was a dispenser who hailed from the East Coast of Demerara.
Allsopp’s early life was in pursuit of academic advancement and he duly excelled at Queen’s College. His subsequent entry into the engineering field was no accident.

“I responded to a newspaper advertisement for an apprentice engineer at Public Works. In the last three years at Queen’s College, I grew to love Mathematics, so it was natural to move there.”
In 1949, the young student managed to gain entry to the prestigious Imperial College in London to further his studies.
Before that, Allsopp had taken several correspondence courses while at Public Works, and was successful. There were some questions as to why he would want to go further at a London University, having already qualified himself appreciably.
“I did not regret it. It was a rewarding experience at Imperial.”
In what was the first of his exploits for Guyana, Allsopp’s outspoken leadership style saw him catapulted to the top of that college’s hierarchy, becoming President of the students’ union.
“This was significant when you take into account it was an English, white college (at the time).”
He was granted a post-graduate scholarship to research soil at the university.
“I had them send me down soil from Guyana for this research.”

GROUNDBREAKING
His return from studies in 1954 saw Public Works fitting him straight into a first job – Engineer of the East Bank Demerara. It was at this time that Allsopp made his mark.
“There was lots of trouble on the road. Burnt earth was being used for the construction. It was a troublesome material that became slushy when the rain fell and made a mess when it was dry.”
The problem was that many persons made their living supplying the material.
Allsopp convinced the policy makers that another way was better…using a sand and clay mixture technique.
“We had a big protest by the people who dealt with burnt earth and I was summoned before the Chief Secretary to explain why.”
Allsopp’s credibility was riding on the road’s successful completion using his method. It was indeed a success, and Guyana had adopted a new road construction method.

“There were instances where there were problems because the sand/clay was not mixed according to the right technique,” he recounted.
His methods of improving on the soil stabilisation were groundbreaking for Guyana, because of the enormous savings realised at a time when expensive stone was being used.
RECOGNITION
It was in the early ‘60s that the United States, a major donor and financier of infrastructural works for Guyana at the time, requested that Allsopp be attached to the US Department of Public Works for two years, to learn more of highway engineering.
“It was excellent training and I managed to see firsthand in five states the way the Americans built their roads. That invaluable experience served me well throughout my career.”
The engineer was also given an opportunity to work on an experimental road in the US, on which that country developed its design policies.
Coming back to Guyana, Allsopp gradually introduced the US standards to local road building; standards which he opined were better than those of the English.
Over the next few years, until 1973, Allsopp oversaw the construction of roads in Essequibo, established a research material laboratory for government, helped design the Linden Highway as well as the Mahaica to Rosignol thoroughfare.
He moved from the position of District Engineer Essequibo, to Executive Engineer of Roads, to Chief Engineer, to Chief Works and Hydraulics Officer.
To emphasise how rounded he was, Allsopp also became a national doubles badminton champion, and participated in a number of departmental athletics meets, with a fair degree of success.

ALLSOPP’S POINT
Between 1973 and 1978, now in high demand, Allsopp was seconded to the Ministry of Economic Development as Technical Advisor, to spearhead the selection of consultants and assist in negotiations with donor agencies.
Before that, he was part of a team that travelled to London to negotiate for funding for the Demerara Harbour Bridge.
He became part of the board of the National Library and led several safaris to the interior to explore locations for roads to Lethem, Mahdia and other key interior locations.
It was during this time, too, that government named a junction of the road about 20 miles from Bartica …‘Allsopp’s Point’.
Retiring from the public service in 1978, Allsopp became a partner with the engineering firm, C.A. Liburd and Associates, designing infrastructure and roads for the massive US$72M Mahaica/Mahaicony/Abary Development Project.
He also helped design, supervise and construct a 50-mile stretch of road from Linden to Mabura, and was instrumental in designing and building seven sites for fish ports across the country.
Accomplished
It was in 1988 that Allsopp took what could be considered an about turn. The then President, Desmond Hoyte, had other things in store for him. He insisted that Allsopp was too valuable to let go. Hoyte urged him to consider a post in the diplomatic community.
“After much thought, I relented, but pointed out that I would rather be posted to somewhere where I could to talk to the people.”
Hoyte created a post for Deputy High Commissioner to London for Allsopp. He was tasked with improving trade negotiations. His work did not go unrecognised, and he was sent to Brazil in 1990 where he was appointed Ambassador to the neighbouring territory.
He met the Pope while there.

Over the years he also served as Honorary Consul to Italy.
During his remarkable journey, Philip Allsopp has been bestowed with the Golden Arrow of Achievement, one of Guyana’s highest accolades, and the Order of Rio Branco from Brazil, for “distinction” in his diplomatic activity.
In addition to serving at one time as President of GAPE, he was also an external examiner for civil engineering courses at the University of Guyana.
He has also written numerous publications and technical reports, including the preparation of a Maintenance Manual for Farm Access Roads, and an assessment of the priority projects for the transport sector for the years 2000-2010. This was an IDB-funded project.
Since 2000, Allsopp was also Arbitrator/Adjudicator in several engineering disputes and designed roads for the Guyana Sugar Corporation, among others.
According to Allsopp, his family is demanding that he “explain” himself to them, chronicling his works and experiences in an autobiography.
He has a son in the United States, and two daughters, one in Barbados and the other in France.
For his unquestionably special contributions to Guyana, Kaieteur News salutes Philip Allsopp, AA, MSC, DIC, F.GAPE, FICE, M.ASCE.

---

---