August, September eyed to start work on Beach Road Improvement Project

The Department of Public Works is looking at August or September to start the actual construction of the 2.2-mile Beach Road Improvement Project, which begins at the As Perdido intersection all the way to Atkins Toyota in Oleai/San Jose.

DPW senior highway engineer Henry Bautista discussed the project during a meeting yesterday afternoon with the House Committee on Public Utilities, Transportation and Communications.

In a later interview, Bautista said they have about $12 million for the project from the Federal Highway Administration and the Department of the Interior. He said they are currently working on the National Environmental Policy Act environmental process and completing the final plan. Right now, the plan is 90% complete, he added. He said the designer is working on the final plan, which can be finished in three weeks.

“After that we will package the plan, [specifics], estimate and the environmental clearances and we will send it to Federal Highway [Administration] to approve the funding so that we can start bidding out,” Bautista said.

He said the $12 million funding is a cost share between the Federal Highway Administration and the U.S. Department of the Interior.

“The money is there,” he added.

Bautista said they are looking at late April this year to bid out the project and, after 60 to 90 days, when the contract is completed, they can issue the notice-to-proceed. He said the construction contract is about a year.

DPW Secretary James Ada, who also testified at the meeting, said many road projects will kick off this year not only on Saipan, but also on Rota and Tinian.

Ada later urged people to be patient as they have been preparing all the scopes of work and the designs, and other works for these road projects since last year.

He said the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery funding will really help the CNMI with its road improvements.

Ada said they also have DOI funding and, in fact, they are purchasing a vacuum truck for DPW. He said the early bid was submitted Tuesday.

Ada said the federal agencies are really assisting the CNMI, while lawmakers are trying their best to provide local appropriations to projects such as speed bumps, secondary roads, and bus stops.