Rota dock closed until further notice

With repair work from the damage caused by typhoon Pongsona just about to get done, the Rota seaport was damaged anew, this time by Typhoon Tingting. This forced the Commonwealth Ports Authority to close it once more to vessels.

CPA executive director Carlos Salas, who checked the impact of typhoon Tingting on the island’s ports facilities, said yesterday that the Rota seaport would remain closed until CPA ascertains that the dock structure and channel are safe for navigation.

“The Rota airport is okay, but we have some concern about the structural integrity of the dock. Also, the water is still very rough over there, so vessels can’t come in yet,” he said in an interview.

Salas expressed concern that there may be a deep cavity in the dock structure, making it dangerous for berthing vessels.

Rota ports manager Benjamin M. Manglona said that repair work on the dock was just nearing completion when typhoon Tingting hit the Marianas earlier this week.

The renovation project came after supertyphoon Pongsona devastated Rota and Guam in Dec. 2002.

Salas explained that it is very difficult to maintain the Rota harbor, as it is very close to the open ocean.

“The harbor is only about 300 to 400 feet away from the open ocean. So whenever there’s a storm, there’s direct wave action on the dock,” he said.

While he declined to give an estimated cost of the damage caused by Tingting to the Rota seaport, Salas maintained that the dock is now among CPA’s top priorities for repair.

“What we’ll do is to get the dock fixed, at least temporarily, then we’ll move on to major repair work,” Salas said.

As soon as the waters get calmer, CPA would send divers to check the channel and the turning basin for any debris or obstruction, he added.

The ports authority also plans to enlist the help of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in rehabilitating the dock.

Further, CPA officials will meet with shipping and stevedore companies to discuss options for loading and unloading of cargo while renovation is underway.

Meanwhile, Salas said the Tinian seaport is now open. The Saipan Express ferry, which operates between Saipan and Tinian, has also resumed service.

He added that the sunken vessel at Saipan seaport does not pose any problem to vessels coming into the harbor.

“It’s out of the way. The only thing that the U.S. Coast Guard and CPA are trying to do right now is to make sure that it causes no pollution and that its owner lifts it up and gets rid of it as soon as possible,” Salas said. (Agnes E. Donato)