Drainage and tar sealing of Port Vila roads due to start in 2016

Much progress on the

long awaited Port Vila Urban Development Project (PVUDP), especially phase 1, which is the drainage and urban road works, is already taking place.

PVUDP has three components – phase one is drainage and road works, phase two is improved sanitation and sludge treatment facilities and phase three is improved community sanitation facilities.

Vanuatu Project Management Unit (VPMU) Communication and Public Relations officer, Kierry Manassah, has confirmed that even though not evident to much of the communities of Port Vila, a lot of work is already in progress on all three phases of the project.

“Some people are asking what is happening with this project, but a lot of work is already taking place,” Manassah added.

He said the project will start with the upgrading of the Kalsakau Drive in front of the Port Vila Seafront Promenade, the contract for which has been awarded to the Chinese company CCECC, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation. This work will run concurrent to another development project, the Vanuatu Tourism Infrastructure Project (VTIP), which will revitalize the Seafront areas. This project is also taking off next month, December.

Manassah says that tenders for phase one of PVUDP will close on December 1, which is in a few days’ time, following which the bids which will evaluated and it is expected that a contract will be awarded by early 2016.

“Tenders for the works will be submitted in December 2015 and everyone is looking forward toward the works beginning in the first quarter of 2016,” the VPMU press release on the progress of the project states.

The Government of Vanuatu in partnership with the Australian Government and Asian Development Bank (ADB) are funding the Vt3.35 billion Port Vila Urban Development Project (PVUDP) as one of the major infrastructure investments in the national Capital.

“Phase I Works (Roads and Drainage) main objective is to improve road network, drainage, footpaths, street lighting, and signage along 13km of main roads including the Lini Highway, Kumul Highway, Freswota Road plus tar seal around the Central Business District (CBD),” a statement from VPMU says.

It says Phase I Works will take approximately 22 months to complete with significant pothole patching and tar seal expected before middle of 2016, then new drainage, footpaths and asphalt over 8.5km of roads.

The Ministry of Infrastructure and Public Utilities and the Department of Environment Protection and Conservation are implementing the project with the contractor carrying out the construction works.

Roughton International, a British-based Engineering Company and Qualao Consulting Limited are providing design, supervision and capacity development and monitoring and evaluation, under the direction of the Vanuatu Project Management Unit (VPMU), the media release from the Vanuatu Project Management Unit says.