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02/05/25 - The Department of Public Works is optimistic that it will complete phase two of the Beach Road Improvement Project this month.
This, after Gov. Arnold I. Palacios during last month’s Marianas Business Network town hall event assured everyone in attendance that the construction, which has caused traffic on Saipan’s main thoroughfare, will be completed by February.
“I have complained to Public Works every day and there were a couple of times when I actually called the contractor and said, ‘when are you going to get this done?’ We're trying our best now and I see new progress. They're going to be done in February. That's the latest. I hope,” he said.
During the same event, Dae Jang Kum Restaurant co-owner Arlene L. Calvo asked Palacios if the government can compensate business owners that have lost customers due to the Beach Road construction.
“I am still hoping that the government can still reconsider extending help to business affected by the rehabilitation of the road project. I believe that small businesses are really struggling too much. The road project is good for the community. But I am hoping that they could find a way to help the businesses that were affected by to it,” she said.
In an interview with Marianas Business Journal, DPW Secretary Ray Yumul said he will adhere to Palacios’ promise to have phase two of the Beach Road Improvement Project completed by this month, with a caveat.
“Yes, right now we are still expecting the contractor to complete the road project in February. However, if there are any delays, it's not going to be on the part of DPW. It will be on the part of the contractor. We are at this phase where we've already mitigated most of the problems through the construction phase. Right now, it's just the contractor basically working at their pace.”
GPPC Inc. is the contractor of the Beach Road Improvement Project.
“We always emphasize they need to work much quicker, take advantage of the good weather that we're having right now. If all things being equal, they should be done on time. However, the contractor had had a few equipment failures and they had some issues at their batching plant,” said Yumul.
Paving the road to Mt. Tapochao
Yumul also announced that DPW has made great strides to clear over 49 sections of land for the future construction of the M. Tapochao and Chalan Galaide roads or Route 310 and Route 308, respectively.
He said this process, upon completion will assure DPW the Right of Way Certification and roadway construction of Route 310 and Route 308.
Over the years, Yumul said DPW has cleared 39 lots for the Tapochao Road Project. Two properties, however, remain unresolved due to probate. The remaining 37 lots have been forwarded to the Department of Public Lands for processing.
This processing would include monetary or property exchange for the acquisition of Right of Way Certification.
“The significance of Route 310 provides connectivity to Isa Drive for the residential areas located south of Isa Drive. It terminates in the south at Mt. Tapochao for a length of 2.12 miles. The roadway condition of Route 310 is an unpaved dirt road, bumpy, narrow, and requires a four-wheel vehicle for safe traveling,” DPW said in a press release.
Due to this, DPW said two opposing vehicles may not be able to travel comfortably on some segments of the corridor. This condition is especially hazardous to drivers along winding and steep segments of the road where sight distance is limited.
“To provide a safer and comfortable condition to drivers, the roadway needs to be upgraded and paved. Upgrades include widening the roadway in some segments to provide enough right-of-way for two vehicles to pass each other; paving the roadway to enhance drivers' comfort.”
The Chalan Galaide Road Project, on the other hand, holds 10 lots—six lots have been compensated and four have been forwarded to DPL for processing. The road begins at Tapochao and connects with Navy Hill for a length of 1.05 miles.
DPW said the route is currently unpaved, bumpy, and practically requires a four-wheel vehicle for safe traveling. The roadway surface is uneven and contains hazards such as potholes, rocks, and standing water. In some segments the roadway is very narrow and two vehicles cannot adequately pass each other while moving at a safe speed. Usually, one vehicle has to pull over and stop while the other vehicle passes with caution at a slow speed. During a rain or if the route is wet, travel is even more difficult due to the standing water and potholes filling up with water.
“This roadway needs to be upgraded and paved. Upgrades include widening the roadway in some segments so that two vehicles can pass each other or at a minimum providing wider vehicle pullout areas for passing of slower traffic, installing new asphaltic concrete pavement. Severance for Chalan Galaide is still needed,” according to DPW.
Yumul said paving the roads leading up to Mt. Tapochao is important not only for tourists and residents wishing to drive up to Saipan’s highest peak but also to government agencies and private communications companies.
“We have communications equipment up there that's critical to, for example, emergency services, such as the Department of Public Safety, [CNMI Homeland Security and Emergency Management], [Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services], all the communication, even Docomo Pacific, IT&E, all their equipment are up there and we need to make sure that the roadway to access that is not going to be jeopardized when there's a major storm like a typhoon. First responders will be able to get up to the peak, do what they got to do,” he said.
The DPW chief, if everything goes well, he expects the paving of the roads up to Mt. Tapochao to be completed by year’s end.
“It's about a 300-day project. So, barring any unforeseen issues such as storms and the like, our target again is the end of the year, plus or minus a few months, if we have to allow for those adjustments.”
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Story by Mark Rabago
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