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Three Saipan airport projects get go-signal
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Posted on Nov 21 2006
The long-delayed implementation of three improvement projects at the Saipan airport will now proceed following a recent meeting between the Commonwealth Ports Authority and the Federal Aviation Administration in Hawaii.
CPA executive director Clyde Norita said he met with FAA officials on the projects—water catchment, parallel taxiway, and apron expansion—when he flew to Hawaii last week for the Department of the Interior’s business conference.
“We discussed these projects which are ongoing now. The delay of these projects was due to environmental concerns which are now being addressed,” he said.
He said the U.S. Fish and Wildlife had issues over the presence of endangered bird species in the water catchment area.
“Our engineering consultant, EFC, is now working with biologists on this matter. We have to comply with environmental conditions on the relocation [of the water catchment] site,” said Norita.
He said FAA also wants the catchment permanently removed from the runway.
“So they agreed to grant us funding to relocate it. Our direction right now is to create a ponding basin instead of a water catchment,” he said.
All three projects are FAA-funded, which run in millions, said Norita.
The runway project would include re-pavement and its conversion into a runway for smaller aircraft.
The runway project has two phases. Phase I is the area that has environmental issues. Phase II was up for re-bid and advertisement as of late September this year.
The apron expansion project contract had been awarded to Hawaiian Rock since September. The contract required FAA review. FAA’s approval means implementation of the project.
The apron project is part of the long-term plan to modernize the international airport.
