Major Road Works on Mendana Ave Start Tomorrow

By Agnes Menanopo

Major road construction along Mendana Avenue within the Honiara Central Business District (CBD) will commence tomorrow, March 4, and continue until April 3.

The announcement was made during a stakeholders’ meeting held today at the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) conference room at White River.

The road works will include the installation of drainage pits and pipes, temporary construction fencing, milling of the existing pavement, construction of the roadbed and base layer at crossings, installation and casting of curbstones, modification of existing pits, construction of footpaths and parking areas, concrete crossing works, base layer construction for the main road, asphalt pavement works, and final base layer construction for the Heritage Park roundabout branch road.

The meeting aimed to inform relevant stakeholders, business owners, and development partners about the proposed road upgrade from Heritage Park Roundabout to Solomon Ports Junction.

Measures to mitigate potential temporary disruptions to motorists and business operations in the area were also discussed.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, Ian Archer, Team Leader of Katahira Construction Supervision Consultant, said the public needs to be aware of the project and the processes in place to minimize impacts on businesses and commercial activities, particularly as one carriageway will be closed during construction.

“Congestion is a major issue, and with limited alternative routes within Honiara, it presents a significant challenge,” Mr. Archer said.

“It is recognized that we cannot do a great deal to reduce congestion, but we will try to mitigate it and keep the disruption period as short as possible.”

He added that the contractor plans to complete the works as quickly as possible to minimize inconvenience to the general public.

David Gange, CCECC Safeguard Specialist and Environment, Health and Safety Manager, said the project is intended to directly benefit the people.

“At CCECC, we have a principle that says we are not just building roads, but we are also helping people build their lives,” Mr. Gange said.

“This project is for the people, and they should be actively involved in any development undertaking, especially a road project that directly affects them.”

Alex Belotindos, CCECC Junior Engineer, explained that the Traffic Management Plan (TMP) for the land side of the road (Segment 1) will be implemented during the construction period.

When works shift to the seaside (Segment 2), the TMP will also be applied to that side.

The Ministry of Infrastructure Development through its Central Projects Implementation Unit is the implementing agency for the project.

Katahira & Engineers International, in joint venture with Transport Engineering Design Inc serves as the Construction Supervision Consultant , while the civil construction works are being carried out by CCECC.

The Government  through MID and with assistance from the Asian Development Bank  implementing the Land and Maritime Connectivity Project (LMCP), which includes:

• Upgrading several roads in and around Honiara, including Town Ground to White River (3.1 km) from two lanes to four lanes, Mendana Avenue (A2) totaling 1.66 km, and Henderson to Mberande in East Guadalcanal (B5) totaling 31.7 km; and

• Construction or upgrading of three wharves: Ahanga Wharf in Bellona (Rennell-Bellona Province), Kirakira Wharf in Makira-Ulawa Province, and the International Port Wharf at Honiara Port.

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