These include current road projects that are expected to be completed within a couple of years, according to a report prepared by DPW highway engineer Henry Bautista.
The ongoing projects include Route 35 road improvements, Route 36 Windward-Talofofo road improvement, installation of traffic lights at the intersection of Quarter Master and Beach Road, Route 10 on Rota road improvement, and the island-wide emergency repair of roads destroyed by Super Typhoon Yutu.
The projects that are still in the design stage include the Chalan Pale Arnold or Middle Road safety improvement; the installation of traffic lights at the corner of Middle Road and Kopa Di Oru near Gold’s Gym; Beach Road drainage improvement; Naftan/Obyan road and drainage improvement; Mount Tapochau road and drainage improvement; and Gualo Rai road and drainage improvement.
House Committee on Public Utilities, Transportation and Communications Chairman Marco Peter, background right, gestures as he asks a question to Department of Public Works highway engineer Henry Bautista, left, during a presentation of the highway master plan in the DPW Technical Services Division conference room on Tuesday. Also in the picture are Rep. Luis John Castro, Ken Aldan, DPW highway, right-of-way and solid waste coordinator; John Gonzales, House committee research analyst; and BJ Nicholas, special assistant to Lt. Gov. Arnold I. Palacios. Photo by Emmanuel T. Erediano
Bautista said the CNMI highway master plan spans 20 years and will assist DPW in prioritizing improvements.
He said the master plan also identifies deficiencies and constraints in both existing and future transportation network, and provides short-range and long-range recommendations for improvement to alleviate such deficiencies.
Ken Aldan, DPW coordinator for highway, right-of-way and solid waste, said the CNMI recently submitted its territorial transportation improvement plan for Saipan, Tinian and Rota to the federal government.
