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$10M Tinian airport project now finished
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Posted on Oct 28 2008
A $10-million taxiway project at Tinian International Airport is now complete.
The Commonwealth Ports Authority, with Gov. Benigno R. Fitial, led the ribbon cutting ceremony yesterday for the airport improvement project, which was mostly funded by the Federal Aviation Administration through five grants.
“As many Tinian residents know all too well, this project is critical and long overdue,” Fitial said in his prepared remarks for the ceremony. “This is a substantial project for Tinian and the CNMI, and I thank CPA, the FAA, and the project designers, engineers, construction managers, and contractors for successfully completing this important project on schedule and without excessive change orders or delays.”
The project involves the strengthening of the old runway to a new parallel taxiway, as well as the reconstruction of an existing taxiway, including grading and drainage work, and the construction of a new emergency generator building with a generator, fuel tank, and other associated work, including the installation of signs and pavement markings.
The improvements will help prepare the airport for international direct flights.
The original design was prepared by JCT Engineers, and was later repackaged by EFC Engineers & Architects. GPPC Inc. built the project for a contract amount of $8.9 million with one change order for the amount of $103,104.80, which involved additional work required by FAA inspections.
The project began in July 2007, and took 455 days to complete.
Fitial touted the completion of the taxiway project as “another successful example of the progress we are making” in terms of infrastructure development. He cited several other federally funded projects that were completed recently, including a Water Task Force project on Navy Hill and a related one in Koblerville.
“The CNMI is making steady progress on infrastructure projects involving federal funds, and we are proud of this progress. And we will continue,” he said.
CPA is looking to carry out several other projects at the Tinian airport, including a high speed taxiway, fuel hydrant pit, a fuel farm facility, and completion of the new departure terminal.
