Feds award CPA $14.3M for airport projects

The Commonwealth Ports Authority has received $14.3 million in federal grants for its airport improvement projects in fiscal year 2004.

CPA, which relies on its own income-generating programs for funding, has lined up at least three major projects for the Saipan and Tinian airports, for which the new Federal Aviation Administration grants will be used.

CPA executive director Carlos H. Salas said the new FY2004 grants will pay for the immediate replacement of the 30-year-old roof at the Saipan International Airport terminal building.

“This project will replace the fast deteriorating shingles with better material that will last longer, is tolerant of weather and architecturally pleasing as well,” Salas said.

John Sablan, CPA’s overall capital improvement projects engineer, said the ports authority will advertise the $4-million project for construction no longer than 30 days from now.

Only $3 million of the estimated cost will come from the new grants, as the other $1 million has been awarded last fiscal year.

CPA has been preparing the design and bid documents with the H.K. Pangelinan and Associates consulting firm during the past months, he added.

“We expect good participation by local contractors during the bidding process. We also anticipate great economic benefits to be generated for our community from the huge FAA monies that is about to be spent in airport infrastructure here in the CNMI,” Sablan said.

FAA is also funding the major runway repair work. Salas said it has been over 25 years since the runway was first constructed.

With an estimated cost of $9 million, the runway rehabilitation project includes restoring the runway surface, improving the runway safety areas, relocating the water catchment reservoir and improving the land areas immediately adjacent to the runway and parallel taxiway.

“CPA continues to improve the airports not only for passenger conveniences at terminal sides, but also for aviation safety purposes on the airside areas. Improving the safety areas in terms of better runways, taxiways and proper surroundings in case of incidents or emergencies are critical to enhancing aviation safety in the CNMI,” Salas said.

He added, “Quite frankly, I am not sure how else CPA or the CNMI can really finance these projects without the FAA’s $9-million funding. And that amount is only for the current fiscal year.”

Another project funded by the new grants is the replacement of two jet ways at the Saipan airport at an estimated cost of $1.3 million and the procurement of a new $1-million jet way for the new Tinian departure terminal building that is now under construction.

Salas said Ron Simpson of the FAA Honolulu office and Mark McClardy of the FAA Western regional office delivered the agreements for the $14.3 million grants to the CPA board of directors last Thursday.

“We are extremely fortunate to have strong partnership and great working relationship with the FAA as evidenced by their continued support and confidence in our airport programs. This partnership has undoubtedly produced many benefits for the CNMI in terms of technical and unprecedented financial assistance on aviation,” Salas said in a statement.

No tax dollars are provided to CPA, which is an autonomous agency governed by an independent seven-member board of directors.

Airport and seaport operations are funded 100 percent by fees collected at the port facilities. This income also pays for the $4 million annual bond payments on the outstanding revenue bonds plus the required 10 percent cost-sharing on FAA grants.

In the past several years, CPA received at least $14 million a year in FAA grants.