Road-paving project on Tinian breaks ground

Seabees assigned to U.S. Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 3’s Detail Tinian install a gable-end on a Southwest Asia hut being constructed on Camp Tinian. (MARCUS HENLEY)

The Tinian Mayor’s Office broke ground yesterday morning on a road-paving project at Marpo Heights II on Tinian, signaling the official start to a road-paving project that has been long awaited by residents in that area.

Raena Pangelinan, project manager of Tinian Mayor’s Office, said the project has been an ongoing discussion that has been in the works for the past 20 years, “challenged by funding availability and priorities.”

She said that past CNMI administrations and leadership have tried to tap several funding sources for this project, such as Federal Highway Administration, Capital Improvement Project, and Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Public Assistance Program, but were all unsuccessful. Finally, Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, the Commonwealth Ports Authority, and the Tinian Leadership negotiated with the Divert Airfield project with the U.S. Department of Defense in 2018 to get the project done.

The project will be executed by U.S. Naval Construction Battalions, better known as the Navy Seabees, of the Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 3 in collaboration with the Department of Public Works and the Pacific Engineering Group Services, and will be spearheaded and handled by the Tinian Mayor’s Offices’ Projects Management Division.

“The project currently doesn’t have a deadline time frame at the moment due to COVID-19’s restrictions and possible delays of materials and equipment being shipped into Tinian,” said Pangelinan.

Tinian Mayor Edwin Aldan said this project is unique as it is the first of its kind and is a collaboration of multiple government agencies spanning federal, state, and municipal levels. “Unlike any other project in the CNMI to date…this is a prime example of how the CNMI government and the Municipality of Tinian can partner with the Department of Defense for the benefit of our people,” said Aldan. “And as the Divert Airfield project is scheduled to start construction next year, we look forward to that project, as well as other IRT projects, being the catalyst to restart Tinian’s local economy by providing employment and business opportunities for our community.”

Lt. Gov. Arnold I. Palacios, who attended the groundbreaking, recognized the importance of having a strong partnership between the U.S. Department of Defense and the Commonwealth, particularly with the Tinian residents who are most impacted by military-related activities.

“We are excited about the economic opportunities that will result from the divert project construction,” he said. “These are the type of opportunities that the people of Tinian have long yearned for when two-thirds of Tinian was leased to the military. These opportunities can only come through a strong partnership with the Department of Defense.”

He promised that he and Gov. Ralph DLG Torres will continue to fight for more of these types of opportunities for Tinian. (Chevy Alipio)