The Bureau of Public Works (BPW) concluded negotiations with Surangel & Sons Construction Company (SSCC) for the Koror-Airai Road Rehabilitation project funded by Compact of Free Association Infrastructure Funds.
The project is divided into four packages where Package A is Airport Intersection to Airai Water Treatment Plant, Package B is T-Dock Intersection to Ice Box Park, Package C is PVA Intersection to Palau Pacific Resort and Package D is Road Signage and Markers Upgrade for Koror and Airai.
The negotiations were completed two weeks ago and a total of $6.2 million has been awarded to SSCC for all the 4 packages.
“The Government is waiting for SSCC to submit the required project insurances so that a formal contract agreement can be executed,” BPW Director Brian Melairei said.
The contract is expected to be signed in first or second week of September.
Melairei said that due to low quality of local rock, all rock materials needed for paving works will be imported from the Philippines.
However, he stressed upon the fact that the project has nothing to do with the nuisance open areas scattered within Koror and Malakal.
“These open and unpaved areas are actually pipe trenches from the Koror Airai Sanitation Project (KASP) administered by PPUC,” Melairei said.
Pointing out the PPUC responsibility, he said” PPUC must ensure that these trenches are addressed and repaved by their KASP contractors before our project can comes in.”
The delivery of materials from Philippines is expected towards the month of December and that is when we road paving works will be commenced.
“Our anticipated completion date of the road rehab project is before the end of June next year,” Melairei said. (By Eshan Kalyanikar)