HONIARA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT PROJECT ON TRACK

View of the new Departure lounge from the new extended taxi-way

By DOUGLAS SAEFOA

The Pacific Games in 2023 is just around the corner, a catalyst that has sparked abrupt developments within the extremities of Honiara City and to some extent Guadalcanal Province, which hosts the capital. Behind the huge spectacle of preparations, especially with games infrastructure, the Japanese government has committed to ensuring that two of its key Grant Aid Projects: the Honiara International Airport Improvement Project and the Kukum Highway Phase II project are completed before the opening of the Games in November 2023. The Honiara International Airport Improvement Project was signed on 15 June 2018 and is worth around SBD$445 million. The project was deemed necessary to enhance connectivity and boost social and economic development. The Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in charge of the project since inception, revealed that despite all odds since the project restarted last year, a lot has been achieved. The Rehabilitation of the existing International Apron and Taxiway has been completed under the supervision of Gyros, Ehira A&E and OCG JV, the project consultant and Kitano Construction Corporation in partnership with the Ministry of Communication and Aviation. The construction team scarified the existing pavement by 5cm and new asphalt pavement laying was done in the entire area of the existing international apron and taxiway to ensure the soundness of the pavement. Expansion of the existing international apron and construction of the new taxiway adjacent to the existing apron and taxiway had also been completed along with the installation of new airfield lighting. The designated expanded apron area is four times wider than that of the previous apron covering an expanded area of at least 24,000 square meters with apron floodlights, taxiway edge lights and signs already installed. The existing aircraft parking could only cater for (2 International flights). The new Aircraft parking stands will now cater for 4 stands for (International flights) and 6 stands for (domestic flights). Another component within the project was the construction of flood protection facilities, given recent experiences where heavy rains usually cause flooding at both airport terminals. A flood protection dike has been constructed at the low area on the south side of the runway and flap gates have been installed at the end of the existing airport drainage. Construction of the new international departure terminal building has progressed steadily and according to a spokesperson for Gyro, the building is already 70 per cent to completion. Currently, the Local electrical company Guadalcanal Electrics Limited (GEL) has been sub-contracted to undertake the electrical wiring of the building. The new International Departure terminal has a total area space of 2,415 square meters. A single-storied (Partly 2 storied) steel frame structure that will soon have the capacity of processing 2 International Departures at a time. Renovation works are also ongoing at the existing International Terminal building. According to JICA, improvement works are being done inside the building which will be used for both the international arrival terminal and domestic terminal. The overall project is expected to be completed in 2023.

A side view of the Western end of the new departure lounge

Prime Minister Honourable Manasseh Sogavare together with the Ambassador of the Peoples Republic of China to the Solomon Islands H.E. Li Ming at the ground breaking ceremony and the ribbon cutting (right) at the SINU complex.

Jiangsu Provincial Construction Group set to construct New Accommodations at SINU

By DOUGLAS SAEFOA

THE Solomon Islands National University is set to witness yet another major development on the University’s premises, with the official ground-breaking of the SINU Dormitory Project on 22 June 2022. The ground-breaking ceremony was officiated by the Solomon Islands Prime Minister Honourable Manasseh Sogavare together with the Ambassador of the Peoples Republic of China to the Solomon Islands H.E. Li Ming and the SINU Acting Vice-Chancellor Jack Maebuta in Honiara. This multi-million-dollar facility is a gift from the Peoples Republic of China made through the Sol2023 National Hosting Authority to SINU. During the games, the accommodation area will be known as the Games Village for athletes. The construction site at SINU will cover a total of 10,183 square meters and will feature key structures that include; 3 four-story accommodation blocks, 1 activity hall with an equipment room and relevant auxiliary projects such as greening, beautification, footpaths and roads. The design caters for 216 dormitory rooms and will accommodate more than 900 beds. The rooms are modern design, ranging from single self-contained rooms to shared dormitory-type rooms with shared amenities. The Government of PRC and SIG signed an implementation agreement on 15 November 2021, and later Jiangsu Provincial Construction JPC firm was awarded the contract by PRC to design and build the 2023 Pacific Games Village Project. Earlier in June, the Sol2023 National Hosting Authority Project Management Unit Executive Director; Mr Eldon Tepa together with Jiangsu Provincial Construction Project Manager; Mr David Wei signed the final detailed design of the Solomon Island National University new dormitories at the National Hosting Authority Office. During the groundbreaking ceremony Prime Minister Sogavare revealed that apart from the SBD 174 million invested by the PRC for this project, the NHA will also be spending SBD 30 million dollars in SIG funds on several projects including: > The Geotech and UXP work on the project site > Proper Sewage and water supply systems to service the building

An artist’s impression of the Games Village for athletes.

> Renovation and refurbishment of existing dorms, classrooms, ablution blocks (including building a new Ablution/ temporary facility), > Construction of replacement sports field at SINU Kukum In highlighting the government’s contribution, Prime Minister Sogavare said the government has injected into SINU, because of the Pacific Games 2023, a total amount in excess of SBD $200 million. A distinguished financing commitment that the Solomon Islands Government has unprecedentedly injected into SINU for its development as part of the game’s legacy. JPC is an enterprise with General Contracting Qualifications of Premium Grade Qualification for Building Construction Engineering and Highway Engineering, Grade A Design Qualification for Construction and Highway Industry, and National Class I Qualification for Real Estate Development, General Contracting Qualification for Foreign-aid Complete Projects, and Foreign-aid Class A Construction Qualification. JPC is ranked the 53rd in the ENR Top 250 Global Contractors, the 99th in the ENR Top 250 International Contractors by comprehensive strength and the 20th in the competitive enterprises of China’s construction industry.

Synthetic Track facility now utilised

By DOUGLAS SAEFOA

THE successful handover of the Synthetic Track and Field facility at the KGVI West Project Site has marked a significant milestone in progress towards the preparations for the 2023 pacific games. Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare officially received the new Synthetic Track and Field facility from the Chinese government represented by His Excellency Li Ming Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the Solomon Islands and witnessed by the National Hosting Authority. Less than one year since the ground-breaking ceremony of the 2023 Pacific Games Stadium Project in May 2021, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) handed over the first of the eight projects under the Pacific Games Stadiums project that is designed by Central South Architectural Design Institute Co., Ltd (CSADI) and constructed by China Civil Engineering and Construction Company (CCECC). The ‘training track and field’ was designed as a support field for the main Pacific Games stadium, and an early replacement of the old track and field at KGVI Grounds, east of Honiara where the main national stadium is currently under construction. The official handover took place on Friday 22nd April 2022. The ‘practice track and field’: n Boasts Solomon Islands’ first-ever, all-weather, fulllength synthetic four-lane 400-metre running track with a 6-lane 100-metre sprint lane, n A full-size field for Soccer and Rugby, n Facilities for other athletic sports such as the jumps and hammer throw, n It allows Solomon Islands athletes to train in a proper training field since the close of the old KGVI track and field n The running track can be used immediately, however, the use of the field is being delayed until the new turf grass grows to cover the field surface, The field has water irrigation, water catchment, and drainage facilities to ensure the field has good water management and drainage system. The KGVI West site (marked as Plot 2) covers an area of 5.5 hectares. Facilities that are currently under construction on the site apart from the Synthetic Track include a ‘1000- seat secondary stadium’, A Hockey training area and a new 95-metre by 50-metre multipurpose hall-which will be the largest hall in the country.

An aerial view of the 5.5 hectares site at the eastern end of KGVI. Below, construction workers hard at work on the main stadium.

KGVI EASTERN SITE Main Stadium Site Progresses

By DOUGLAS SAEFOA

CONSTRUCTION work at the KGVI East site is progressing smoothly with the main Sol2023 Games stadium's opening date still on track as scheduled. The whole project site covers an area of 5.5 hectares with an actual construction area of approximately 20,500m square. This particular project site is expected to accommodate the Main Stadium, Aquatic Centre, Tennis Centre and a Catering and Office area. The construction team and site management CSADI released an update in June that reveals steady progress on the construction of the 10,000-seater grand stadium. The latest update and progress as of June 2022 come as follows: > the second floor (top floor) of the main stadium stands has already begun to be poured in concrete, > the fabrication of the steel structure for the canopy is

progressing steadily and orderly. Since July the construction team has engaged the largest mobile crawler crane in the pacific with the capacity of up to 260 tons to hoist and install fabricated steel structures to the canopy ceilings. The main stadium is located on the east side of the KGVI East site with a three-floor structure at a height of 26.80 meters to the canopy top points. The total construction area covers as much as 15,000 square meters which divide into the east stand and west stand with the total capacity of accommodating 10,000 spectators at a time (1,000 seats in the VIP lounge), and the function rooms located below the stand. The west stand and east stand are symmetrically opposed with the underpart consisting of a Reinforced concrete shear wall structural system with a canopy with unit-style cantilever supporting system plus skeleton membrane structure above.