LIEUTENANT Gov. Arnold I. Palacios is pleased to see that Beach Road improvement projects are now ongoing.
After months of weekly meetings and working sessions with several government agencies and federal partners, the CNMI Highway Task Force led by Palacios, has been informed that the Federal Highway Administration and the Office of Insular Affairs have authorized the Commonwealth to proceed with an “Invitation to Bid” to upgrade the stretch of Beach Road (Phase II) from As Perdido to Oleai/San Jose.
“This project is the beginning of what will be a long, overdue improvement on Beach Road,” the lt. governor said in a statement. “After so many years of numerous patchworks, we are finally going make the much needed reconstruction, improvements, and expansion in one of Saipan’s main thoroughfares,” he added.
Acting Public Works Secretary Antonio Camacho, for his part, said: “The improvements will include the reconstruction of existing roadways. This involves new asphalt concrete pavement with dense graded anti-skid features including pavement markings, road shoulders, drainage systems, driveway connections, and traffic signs that will improve safety and visibility for all motorists.”
DPW Highway Administrator Lorraine Villagomez said the inclusion of bike lanes and sidewalks will benefit individuals “placing a focus on their health and prioritizing a healthier lifestyle,” which are particularly important in the time of the pandemic.
According to Palacios, the collaborative efforts of many individuals from several CNMI agencies have been exploring engineering, funding, and permitting considerations to plan and implement several important highway projects.
“We all drive the same roads and understand the need for improvements,” he said.
“The need to align current projects with available funding sources has been a critical component of the overall effort of the CNMI Highway task force,” Palacios added.
He said the upgrade of Airport Road was the first project of highway improvements to be completed, and the Cross Island Rd. (Talofofo) is now ongoing.
The Beach Road Phase II Project is presently in the bidding process and the project itself will most likely begin in late December of this year or January 2022, he added.
The CNMI Highway Task Force members include Public Works Technical Services Division civil engineers Henry Bautista and Isagani Salazar and Elizabeth Balajadia of the Capital Improvements Program. They work with the Federal Highway Administration, the Office of Insular Affairs, the U.S. Economic Development Administration, the CNMI Department of Finance, and the Northern Marianas Housing Corporation.
“These highway projects did take time because there is so much involved including engineering design, funding and federal and local permitting processes,” Acting Director Camacho said, “and we ask that our community remain patient once construction starts.”
Palacios emphasized that cooperation among colleagues was crucial to assembling the required funding and meeting the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act or NEPA process. “Working together, we can accomplish a lot,” he added.
Arnold I. Palacios
