Previous Story
Senate moves new Tinian public highway bill forward
The Senate last month passed a bill to establish a new public highway on Tinian meant to provide more access for economic development around the southern and eastern side of the island.
The Senate unanimously passed Sen. Jude U. Hofschneider’s (R-Tinian) Senate Bill 19-94, which now heads to the House, and establishes a new public highway, Route 205, on Tinian.
The bill aims to establish a new public highway, mandate the designation of public lands for a new public highway to include access to fishing and hunting areas and public safety and emergency response; and to prioritize the design and construction of this highway within the Capital Improvement Project Office and Department of Public Work’s federal high funds program.
According to the Senate standing committee report on the bill, the limited lane on Tinian as a result of two-thirds of it being leased to the U.S. military, greatly affects the island’s ability to develop new homestead or agricultural projects.
Moreover, senators say that a majority of all developments and homesteads have been established at the east and south side of the island, with most development limited to San Jose Village and surrounding areas because of lack of available land and public highways around the southern and eastern end of island.
“In order to create more economic opportunities and establish new developments on Tinian, it is essential to create new public highways on the southern and eastern side of Tinian,” the committee report states. “A new public highway will ultimately provide safe and efficient transportation from Route 300 South down to Puntan Carolinas and up through Puntan Kastiyu and Puntan Pina Plateaus and further up to Puntan Barangka to Puntan Masalog and Puntan Asiga until the highway connects to Broadway on the northern part of Tinian.”
