Christmas Day opening

Construction of the Puerto Rico Park is nearing completion and it is expected to open on Christmas Day. The project began in March last year and experienced some delays after Typhoon Soudelor hit Saipan in August 2015.

Installation of the protective covering on the west side, solar pathway lights, trellis structure on the top deck, and construction of an access road on the west side, restroom facility, and slope revetment are the only remaining work that needs to be done.

Construction of the access road and installation of the solar lights and trellis structure have been 80 percent completed while the slope revetment is halfway through.

The park’s drainage system, earthwork—that includes backfill, foundation, and liner system—putting of monitoring probes for gas and groundwater, and the removal of H-piles have already been completed by Black Micro Corp. since the project began on March 25, 2015.

The area is a former dock facility that was constructed by the U.S. military after World War II, but became a scrap metal dump as the years went by. It was used as Saipan’s dumpsite since 1953 before operations stopped in 2003 and the facility was closed permanently a few years after.

The project to convert it into a park was awarded around 2014 after all issues regarding the planned construction of the park was settled—like protests and design.

The winning contractor immediately began with the demolition and removal of the H-piles at the Tanapag Lagoon, the clearing and grubbing of more than 20 acres of dump, the placement and grading of the landfill cover, construction of the access road and restroom facility, and slope revetment.

An earthen foundation layer, geomembrane, and geocomposite and geotextile membrane liners, protective cover and topsoil, and landscaping are included on the landfill cover.

A storm water protection system—energy dissipators, ditches, channels, and stilling basin—and landfill perimeter gas collection and monitoring probes, seat walls, and groundwater monitoring system have also been installed.

The U.S. Department of the Interior funded the project that costs $21,994,872.81 and was originally scheduled to be completed on Nov. 23.

Once completed the park will provide another recreation area for the community and tourists. The park’s pedestrian walkway will also connect the Smiling Cove Marina to downtown Garapan.