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DPW: Connection road on Route 36 to begin soon
With funds from the Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, Talofofo will soon become a second full-fledged link between the northern and southern parts of Saipan.
The project connects Windward Road in Talofofo to Chalan Kalabera in the northeastern part of Saipan. The project involves the construction of about 3.7 miles of an all-weather road on Route 36.
The Department of Public Works will be issuing the invitation to bid within the coming weeks.
“The project will begin at the end of the existing paved road just past the entrance to the Kingfisher Golf Course, pass through Kalabera Cave, and will end near the Bird Island lookout,” said Public Works Secretary James Ada.
“The road improvement will also include wider travel lanes with bike lanes on each side, drainage, road signage, and concrete box culverts at the Unai Fanhang and Unai Nanasu crossings,” Ada added.
Cyclists, joggers, tourists, and the greater community will soon enjoy a safer alternative commute to the northern part of the island.
Early last year, Gov. Ralph DLG Torres noted that the Technical Services Division under DPW completed over $10 million in islandwide upgrades.
“We’ve seen what an enormous impact roads have to improving our overall infrastructure. Several critical projects are ongoing, and this project is both exciting and beneficial for our community. …We expect to establish two new highways in the near future. As one of many road improvements, this project will alleviate traffic, which is a key priority. This will help our community not only make their daily commutes easier, but also provide a new scenic feature to our island that is also environmentally friendly,” Torres said.
Last week, DPW highlighted the completion of six road projects and building rehabilitations. (PR)
