Road paved for new Saipan thoroughfare

Stressing the need for an improved thoroughfare which would ease congestion of vehicular traffic on Saipan, the House of Representatives yesterday cleared the way for legislation that would establish a special implementing body for the proposed Texas Road.

House members voted to pass House Bill 12-267, also known as the Texas Road Development Act of 2000, without too much deliberations during yesterday’s session.

The lower chamber of the CNMI Legislature earlier adopted recommendation to pass made by the Committee on Public Utilities, Transportation and Communication, citing the bill’s significance in providing Saipan residents better road access.

The proposed measure would create the Texas Road Commission which will plan for and implement the development of the road, as well as negotiate with private landowners acquisition agreements on behalf of the Commonwealth government.

Leadership of the proposed commission would include ranking officials of the Department of Public Works, Commonwealth Utilities Corporation, Division of Public Lands, Coastal Resources Management, and the Division of Fish and Wildlife.

The special implementing body should also have a CNMI-licensed surveyor and a professional engineer licensed to practice in the Northern Marianas.

Under the Texas Road Project, the Commission would be responsible in designing limits of the development for a two-lane vehicular traffic. utility easement for sewer, water and power, and for pedestrian access on either side of the road.

The bill also requires the soon-to-be established Commission to identify private landowners who will be affected by the proposed project and identify total area of each parcel of private land that will be needed for the construction of the road.

At the same time, HB 12-267 calls for the identification of revenues and make appropriations beginning Fiscal Year 2002 for the acquisition of private properties needed to open and develop Texas Road on Saipan.

“A reserve account shall be set up by the Secretary of Finance to be used solely for the Texas Road Development Project. Annual budget appropriations made by the Legislature shall be deposited in this account,” the bill reads.

HB 12-267 now heads to the upper chamber for its action. If the Senate selects to pass the bill without amendments, it automatically goes to Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio. (Aldwin R. Fajardo)