A Report on the
STATE OF THE ISLANDS

Chapter 6: REPUBLIC OF PALAU

6.1 The Republic of Palau (Trust Territory) Infrastructure (continued)

The third phase of such project was most recently completed in March this year. The scope of this phase comprised of extending the 34.5 kv electric power transmission line from the Kokusai substation northward to the Yamato area of Ngaremlengui State and appropriate stepdown substations at lbobang and Yamato, thus enabling 13.8 kv distribution lines to lbobang village in Ngatpang and the village of lmeyong in Ngaremiengui where the new line was connected to existing power system, thus enabling 24-hour electric power service to the rest of the state.

The Government of Palau is actively seeking grant aid assistance from the Government of Japan for extending the power grid further north and east to electrify the remaining four states in Babeldaob island presently still without 24-hour power service.

Roads

Land transportation in Palau will soon show major improvement with the construction of the Palau Compact Road project on Babeldaob. Included in the Compact of Free Association as United States assistance to Palau, the road was to be a 53 mile, 18 foot wide road with double bituminous surface treatment. The Government of Palau requested the United States to build a road to a higher quality standard. The United States Government, recognizing that a wider, higher quality road would last longer in Palau's tropical climate, agreed to Palau's request with the proviso that the improved road would cost no more than the original design, and would thus not reach the original 53 mile length.

Under the supervision of the Department of the Interior, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers established the cost of the original road at $124 million. A final alignment of the road has been determined, with the Government of the Palau assigning priorities to the segments to be constructed first. Engineering firms have been selected for design while survey and environmental work has begun.

Practically all the roads, including causeways and streets in the Koror-Airai area, which were initially constructed during the Japanese regime in Palau are still in full use today after having been improved with funds from the U.S. Government through the Trust Territory Capital Improvement Program (CIP). This road improvement program, collectively called Palau Roads Project Phase I-IV was administered by the U.S. Navy's Officer-in-Charge of Construction COICC), and entailed the improvement of approximately 22 miles of asphalt paved primary roads and streets in Koror and Airai from 1 974 to 1 988. With U.S. CIP grant funds, a two-lane concrete box girder type bridge spanning the Koror-Airai channel was constructed in 1976 connecting Babeldaob island with Koror island.

This bridge is presently under repair, having deflected at midspan some 3.7 feet. The repair work is anticipated to be completed by August this year.

The Babeldaob north-south road (West Road) initially built by the Japanese is still in use in certain sections (from Airai to Ngaremiengui). The road will become the West Road, a component of the Compact road project.

Through their own initiative, the state governments of Melekeok, Ngiwal, Ngaremiengui and Ngarchelong constructed a combined total of 13.9 miles of asphalt concrete paved roads within their respective states from 1985 to 1988. These state governments individually contracted with Japanese private construction companies to construct certain segments of road within their respective state. The length of these roads and the respective states within which the roads were built are as follows: Melekeok- 2.5 miles; Ngiwal- 3.4 miles; Ngaremiengui- 3.0 miles; Ngarchelong- 5.0 miles of which approximately a 3-mile segment is surfaced only with crushed stones.

Through the combined efforts of the U.S. Military Civic Action Team, national government and state governments, a considerable number of miles of dirt roads have been constructed (pioneered) in practically all the 10 states in Babeldaob. At present, all but one of the 10 states in Babeldaob are accessible by land from Koror, although during the rainy season, accessibility could only be possible by 4-wheel drive type vehicles. As of April 1996, a contractor is working to repair the many potholes in the existing primary roads in Koror and Airai.

Seaport

The main commercial port facility in Palau is located at Malakal Harbor on Malakal island. The port is operated by a private company, Belau Transfer and Terminal Company, under a lease agreement with Koror State Government. The Seaport Branch of the Division of Transportation of the Bureau of Commercial Development, Ministry of Commerce and Trade, also has responsibility for the port. The wharves are of pre-World War 11 Japanese construction. Its quay walls are apparently constructed of concrete blocks. Dimensions of the two faces of the dock currently utilized for cargo vessels are 528 feet by 500 feet. Because of land taken by a commercial fishing operation facility, all but approximately 80 feet of the entire north wharf is under the control of a commercial fishing company. At present, the 80-feet section of the north wharf is dedicated for the use of the Government of Palau's patrol boat. The depth alongside the quay wall varies from 26 feet to 29 feet.

In 1995, over 280 commercial, fishing and other vessels called at Malakal commercial port delivering over 6,000 containers and other break bulk cargo totaling over 70,600 tons. Malakal commercial port is extremely congested and must be expanded.

The OMIP Team continues to recommend the creation of a Port Authority to operate and maintain the port and to resolve the dispute over the legal ownership of the part between the National Government and Koror State Government. Past docking facility developments in the states of Ngarchelong, Melekeok, Ngatpang and Angaur mainly for enhancing small scale fishery operations were made possible through grant aid assistance from the Government of Japan.

Airport

The Palau International Airport, located in Airai State, has one runway which is 150 feet wide by 7,200 feet long. The runway is paved with asphaltic concrete. Although the runway surface was improved with an overlay of 1-inch thick asphaltic concrete over the original pavement a few years ago utilizing high quality aggregates from the Philippines, the entire runway surface needs to be improved. A 75-foot wide taxiway leads from the west-end of the runway to a 350 feet by 500 feet aircraft parking area adjacent to the passenger terminal building.

In fiscal year 1994, a U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grant aid assistance was used for the design and construction of improvements to the taxiway and the two aircraft parking aprons. These improvements were completed late in 1995.

Due to the worsening condition of the concrete slab making up the floor of the second story of the existing passenger terminal building, temporary repairs have been made by installing false plywood ceiling to act as a buffer to failing pieces of concrete spalling from underneath of the second story concrete slab floor as well as fixing the leaking roof. In addition, the entire electric power distribution system within the terminal building was haphazardly installed and meets no recognized electric safety code. The system presents a significant hazard for both fire and electric shock.

Additional funds were granted by FAA in fiscal year 1994 for the design of a new terminal building to replace the existing one which has been declared through a professionally conducted evaluation study of the structural integrity of building to be structurally deficient, and therefore should be demolished.

In late 1995, a consulting firm was selected to design a new replacement terminal facility. Work on the design of the new terminal is underway; however, funding for the construction of said facility has not been secured.

An agreement has been reached between the Government of Palau and the private company which owns the existing terminal building that the Government will acquire the existing facility(s) for $1,400,000. The inadequacy of the air transportation infrastructure in Palau is a major constraint to economic development that the Government of Palau is facing today. Without an airport runway with an appropriate length to enable wide bodied aircraft normally used in international flights to enable direct services between Palau and such country as Japan, the tourism industry in Palau will remain poorly developed.

Public Buildings

Renovation of public facilities continued from 1994 to 1995, especially in the area of school buildings. In new construction, the following facilities were completed in 1995: Koror jail; special education building; Airai Elementary School; two-story, B-classroom building at Palau High School; an indoor basketball court (new building built over an existing basketball court); and a public works building at Ngardmau State to be utilized as a repair facility for servicing/repair of heavy construction equipment.

The following facilities are presently under construction: Meyungs Elementary School kitchen/cafeteria building; Aimeiiik Elementary School remodeling; and expansion of the existing Palau national hospital to provide more space for physical therapy and hemodialysis units.

What is needed is a complete inventory of all public facilities in each state. Each facility should be measured to determine its dimensions, type of structure described, age of structure and condition of the building noted, historical construction and maintenance cost noted, schedule routine maintenance actions necessary and budget estimated for such actions recommended.

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