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Private sector and churches work with govt to improve area roads

emporary fix -with gravel and cinder - filling the now gone large potholes on the Cardinal Pio Road
reporters@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Around 8:30a.m. last Friday, a crew from Paramount Builders, Inc. made a temporary fix on the Cardinal Pio Road, one of the side roads heading to Fatuoaiga, and frequently used by residents and others. Paramount Builders is the American Samoa Power Authority (ASPA) contractor that relocated overhead power lines to underground conduits along the Ottoville Road.

With Paramount Builders already doing work in the Ottoville area, Rep. Larry Sanitoa, early this year, requested the company, as well as ASPA, for assistance with road problems around Fatuoaiga and the Hope House facility, where there are several large potholes - including the Cardinal Pio Road.

Sanitoa confirmed to Samoa News over the weekend that ASPA has given the okay for Paramount Builders to resurface the Cardinal Pio Road, part of the Fatuoaiga Road, and the potholes on the side road towards Fatuoaiga.

Yesterday, Sanitoa wrote to ASPA executive director, Wallon Young, saying on behalf of the residents of Hope Hope, parents and students, parishioners and many residents who frequently use these side roads by Fatuoaiga, “I extend our sincere appreciation and BIG fa'afetai tele lava for ASPA's support in funding the resurfacing work to these two side roads to Fatuoaiga as part of your ongoing hazard mitigation project.”

“Mitigating the runoff water and debris from the side roads to the main Ottoville road will help with the frequent flooding in the area,” he wrote in an email. “This is such welcome news to the many families and residents in this area.”

CHURCH WILL WORK WITH DPW ON ROADS — MAPUSAGA FOU AND FALENIU

As a result of a meeting last Monday, The Church of Jesus Christ will partner with Public Works to permanently pave two major secondary roads used by church members to access their facilities.

In February, Rep. Larry Sanitoa met with Church of Jesus Christ local official Ropeti Lesa, to discuss the possibilities of having the church partner with DPW “to permanently pave” two major secondary roads church members use as access roads to the stake center and chapel.

A meeting was held last month. Sanitoa, Lesa and DPW director, Faleosina Voigt and her team were in attendance to review and discuss the possibilities of having the church partner with DPW to permanently pave the roads at Mapusaga Fou and Faleniu.

For the Mapusaga Fou road, the church - since last year - had contracted and paid a professional engineering firm to do survey work on the side road leading to the Stake Center there.

“The survey has been completed but as agreed to at our meeting, your office will request the engineering firm to provide a cost breakdown of the  materials (asphalt and concrete), supplies, and labor,” Sanitoa wrote in a follow-up letter to Lesa.

For the Faleniu road, it was per discussions at the meeting that the church will request the engineering firm to carry out a similar survey of this road as well.

“Furthermore, we agreed that our next meeting will be after the completion of the aforementioned action items for the two roads  and to finalize each party's roles and responsibilities,” said Sanitoa, who noted that residents and motorists who frequent these roads are most appreciative and grateful of any help and support from the church.

He said the government is also appreciative of the church stepping in to partner with DPW.