Airport Road construction project breaks ground

Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, seventh from left, breaks ground with Lt. Gov. Arnold I. Palacios, Rep. Angel Demapan, general manager of contractor Hawaiian Rock Products David Bush, and others during the Route 35 Groundbreaking Ceremony on May 20. The fixing and renovation of 1.5 miles worth of road near the airport is the first of many road improvement projects planned for the island. (JOSHUA SANTOS)

The project to repair the 1.5-mile road going to the Francisco C. Ada/Saipan International Airport broke ground yesterday, with Gov. Ralph DLG Torres saying the project is the first of many road improvement projects that are in the pipeline for Saipan.

Torres was joined at the project’s laydown area by Lt. Gov. Arnold I. Palacios, Rep. Angel A. Demapan (R-Saipan), Department of Public Works Highway Administrator Lorraine S. Villagomez, and David L. Bush, general manager of project contractor Hawaiian Rock Products, among others, for the groundbreaking ceremony.

The project, which is expected to be completed in January 2022, includes repaving the road with anti-skid pavement, repainting of road markings, and installation of guardrails and permanent traffic signs. The area of work will span from Route 31 Chalan Monsignor Guerrero to its intersection with Route 304 Flame Tree Road.

A fraction of the $1.092 million in federal funding allocated by the Federal Highway Administration to the CNMI was used to fund this project. According to Villagomez, this project is fully funded by the federal government with “no local match” and “no local funds that are going into this project.”

In an interview with Torres after the event, he thanked the families and residents in the Airport Road area for their cooperation and for airing their concerns, and hoped that DPW and those involved with construction have addressed their concerns. He also thanked Palacios for constantly being in meetings regarding the project to make sure everything was done right and for personally addressing residents’ concerns about the project.

“Today’s a good day. Tourism’s our only industry here, and coming here and fixing our roads is the first step [in making Saipan] a world-class [tourist] destination,” said Torres.

Demapan echoed the governor’s sentiments: “This is a long-awaited project, and we’re glad to see it finally break ground today. …This road is very important to us because it’s the first and last impression that our visitors see when they arrive at the airport. …As a prime tourist destination, it’s very important for us to make sure we leave those lasting impressions when they get here and when they leave.”

Palacios said it was a six-to-eight-month process to get everything together and work out all the kinks with the project plans, and he is happy the road project is now a reality. “There have been challenges on the way to today, but I’m glad that after much meetings [and] looking at the issues and challenges, DPW, the Office of the Governor, and the [Capital Improvement Project Management] office were able to pull this off,” he said.

Next up? The Beach Road project, according to Torres.

The event was also attended by staff members from DPW and Department of Fire & Emergency Medical Services.