Taotasi Archie Soliai
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DPW holds hearing to discuss
$16 mil TTIP money
Ituau Malosi Representatives Taotasi Archie Soliai and Mary Lauagaia Taufete'e were two of the only three local residents who attended the public hearing held Monday, July 30 in the Public Works conference room to discuss the $16 million awarded for the Territory Transportation Improvement Program. |
 Mary Lauagaia Taufete'e
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Only three people attended the public hearing that took place on Monday, July 30 at the Public Works conference room to discuss the $16 million awarded for
2006-2008 under the Territory Transportation Improvement Program (TTIP).
They are Ituau Malosi representatives Taotasi Archie Soliai and Mary Lauagaia Taufete’e, and Levu Solaita.
The multi-year TTIP is a three-year project which includes transportation improvement projects for the territory, funded by the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration.
TTIP details the funding and work phase of each project in the appropriate year.
DPW director Taeaotui Punaofo Tilei said that Monday’s hearing was scheduled to fulfill a requirement set forth by the FHwA.
Others in attendance were DPW finance manager Adrienne Sewell, acting Civil Highway Division director Faalava’i Taase, and other Public Works engineers.
The hearing was short, and discussion focused on the funding, how it was going to be spent, and when the projects will begin.
Taeaotui explained that most of the identified areas have already been surveyed by DPW employees and work will commence in due time.
He said that the $16 million has already been divided by districts, in both Tutuila and Manu’a.
The process for the development of TTIP involves two phases, the first of which includes the compilation of an initial project listing that requires issuing a “call for projects” to prioritize the projects. The list is then evaluated against project selection requirements established by the department.
The second phase involves the identification of selected projects, which are then sorted by funding category to assure that the fiscal requirements are met and that use of federal funds will be optimized with no lapse.
The first phase was completed in May 12, 2006 and the second phase includes a list, already released and published in the local newspapers, depicting estimates for planning purposes as well as Emergency Relief (ER) projects.
The deadline to comment on the list of projects is August 3, 2007
A breakdown of the estimates is as follows: |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
$1.6 mil |
$3.2 mil |
$4 mil |
$4 mil |
$3.2 mil |
Projects funded under the $16 million include:
Highway Planning
Weigh Station
AS Highway Master Plan Update
AS Drainage Master plan
Technology Transfer and Technical Assistance Program Traffic Counting Station, various locations Completion of the Civil Highway Division Office, M&O Compound Aoa Village road Rte 01, Pava’ia’i Drainage 3R spot improvement project, islandwide Route I, Phase II Rte I waterfront access loop road Route 104, (LBJ/Route I intersection to first culvert behind LBJ) Route 014, (from airport intersection to Army Reserve) Route 017W (Lavalava Golf Course to Canco Hill) Route 116, (Ottoville to Pava’ia’i) Route 019, (Fagaima to Faleniu) Route 014 drainage (Ili’ili Airport Road) Route 018 drainage (Ottoville Road) Route 019 drainage (Fagaima Road) Intersection improvement Guardrail installation at hazardous sites, islandwide Road pavement markings, islandwide Traffic control, permanent, islandwide Pedestrian Bridge Xing, islandwide Sidewalk construction, islandwide
Others include Emergency Relief (ER) projects in different villages to repair damages caused by the May
2003 flooding and Tropical Cyclone Heta. The locations include Fagaalu, Pago Pago, Fagasa, Fagatogo Marketplace, Leloaloa, Atu’u, Aua to Afono, Onenoa, Poloa, Ta’u, Utulei, and the Fagasa to Fagatele Road.
Also included in the project listing are various shoreline protection and drainage mitigation projects, and repair work in each of the districts in Tutuila and Manu’a.
