AFTER 20 years of pushing for the project, the government held a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday for the improvement of Industrial Drive at the Port of Saipan in Puerto Rico.
The $1.3 million project, which involves paving Industrial Drive, is funded by the Commonwealth Ports Authority and is expected to be completed on May 31, 2023.
CPA Executive Director Christopher Tenorio said it has been 20 years since CPA first proposed the road improvement project which, he added, is critically needed for the daily activities of Port of Saipan’s operators and users.
CPA Board Chair Kimberlyn King-Hinds said Saipan Stevedore has committed to fund the public benefit project as part of its lease payment to CPA.
That amount was combined with fees and taxes collected from Imperial Pacific International and appropriated by the Saipan and Northern Islands Legislative Delegation in the 20th and 21st Legislatures.
Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, who led the groundbreaking ceremony, congratulated CPA as he reiterated his administration’s commitment to move critical infrastructure projects forward.
For his part, Department of Public Works Secretary James Ada said the project will improve the road area from Route 30 or the Army Reserve intersection to the Shell intersection.
‘Together, we can’
In her remarks, King-Hinds noted that the mantra “Together, We Can” has been adopted by the Governor’s Council of Economic Advisors led by businessman Jerry Tan.
She said since the creation of GCEA, the governor, Tan and the council have been pushing for public-private partnership initiatives to enhance tourism destinations through investments in infrastructure across the CNMI.
“And really, that comes from having the foresight and the understanding that one, the governor can’t do it alone and two, we all have a stake in building the CNMI’s economy,” she said.
The project, King-Hinds added, has been on CPA’s “to-do list” for years, and the reason they are finally implementing it is because “we have community stakeholders and industry partners who joined us to make this day a reality.”
She said the Industrial Drive improvement project is a good example of public and private entities coming together to accomplish a task as she recognized CPA’s partner, Saipan Stevedore, for its funding commitment.
“This project is a great example of what we as a community can accomplish when we are working together,” King-Hinds said. “Today, we are not just making improvements to a road. We are improving the quality of life for the people here in our community.”
The process works
Jose Quan, chairman of CPA’s Port Operators and Users Committee, noted that Industrial Drive is “littered with potholes, and is barely paved, making it a rough road to traverse going in and out of the port. With the amount of traffic this roadway gets on a weekly basis, it is essentially the lifeline to our island economy and most importantly our community.”
Quan said whenever cruise ships arrive, the tourists’ first experience on Saipan will be a bumpy ride on Industrial Drive.
On July 2, 2021, he said lawmakers appropriated funds for the improvement of the road.
And today, he added, the time has come to address a long-standing concern which shows that “the process does indeed work.”
Quan thanked King-Hinds, the CPA board members and most especially Tenorio for making the final push “to get us where we are today.”
He also thanked Ada for his assistance with design, the 22nd Legislature led by Speaker Edmund S. Villagomez and Senate President Jude U. Hofschneider, the governor and Lt. Gov. Arnold I. Palacios.
He also wished the contractor, RNV Construction, the best of luck and clear skies so that their work will be done efficiently and effectively.
Gov. Ralph DLG Torres and Commonwealth Ports Authority Board Chair Kimberlyn King-Hinds center, join lawmakers, other CPA and administration officials in a groundbreaking ceremony for the Industrial Drive road improvement project near the Port of Saipan in Puerto Rico on Thursday.
