DPW looking at reworking Garapan roads

The Department of Public Works has commissioned designs to decongest the traffic flow in the busy Garapan district as two large commercial developments begin to rise in the area.

Tony Camacho, director of technical services division under the Departmetnt of Public Works, said they are looking to “opening” the Coral Tree Avenue area, and have a directional system heading north in front of Fiesta Resort & Spa.

“Hopefully, [Best Sunshine International, Ltd.] will be willing to pay for that upgrade,” he said in an interview, referring to improvements to Coral Tree Avenue.

On expanding roads, he said, there may be some limitations with right of way availability. “So we are looking to increase traffic flow by doing one-way streets.”

Camacho said they are waiting for BSI’s traffic impact analysis for DPW to review.

Permitting agencies are looking to see if BSI can submit this analysis “sooner rather than later,” he said.

“We’ll do that review from there,” he added.

One-way streets in Garapan are planned, he said, but probably not on the main thoroughfare, or Route 30. And the main road would remain a “two-way” street, Camacho said.

“We do have a design in place right now being commissioned. Hopefully that design can lead us to make better improvements to opening up traffic.

DPW plans directional signs, improvements to pavement, and also public outreach on how that new one-way systems would work.

“It would be great if the investor put up that money but we are looking at maybe $200,000 to put directional signs and improve the shoulder ways,” Camacho said. “Any kind of improvement to increase traffic flow would be great.”

Camacho said they are aiming to get traffic out in front of the T-Galleria out faster.

He said they might have to “tweak” the light system to move traffic faster, meaning, speed up the pace of the traffic lights.

In Garapan, Imperial Pacific’s Grand Marianas Casino and Hotel resort, an integrated resort with hotel rooms, casino gaming, night clubs, restaurants, conference rooms and retails stores, is slated to have “no” traffic impacts, according to a developer chart provided by BECQ this month.

Also in Garapan, H.S. Lee Construction’s commercial building, an integrated commercial building and hotel rooms with gift shops and restaurants, is marked “traffic density will increase,” per the BECQ chart.

“[DPW] certainly have plans and things like that but they need to get moving on their designs,” said Sen. Arnold Palacios (R-Saipan). “We are already behind.”

“We also have to realize that [these efforts] come with resources and we have to allocate the necessary resources for them to do that. They don’t have enough engineers to realize that and given the professional people that they need, their engineers are to me overworked.”

Palacios also has concerns about agencies vetting building code designs.

“I want to make sure the designs are proper and the plans are put in place. At some point in time, the regulatory agencies will also have to say enough is enough in the Garapan area, and we need the development out in the other areas.

“Garapan is very attractive for beachfront properties,” he said.