The Puerto Rico Ports Authority began the reconstruction works of the passenger terminal and other structures, including the runway of the Antonio Rivera Rodríguez de Vieques regional airport, announced today the executive director, Joel A. Pizá Batiz.“The main objective of the terminal project is to repair several structures, including the passenger terminal, which were severely affected by Hurricane María in 2017 and which prevent the optimal operation of this important facility, and to improve the passenger experience.These works reaffirm the commitment of Governor Pedro R. Pierluisi and the Ports to continue improving the experience of residents and visitors to Vieques, who routinely use this important regional airport,” added Pizá Batiz.The head of Ports participated in the traditional laying ceremony of the first stone, accompanied by the resident commissioner in Washington DC, Jenniffer González-Colón;the secretary of the Department of Transportation and Public Works, Eileen Vélez Vega;the executive director of the Central Office for Recovery, Reconstruction and Resilience (COR3), Manuel Laboy Rivera;the regional assistant director of Porta del Este, Glendalee Rodríguez and the mayor of Vieques, José Corcino Acevedo.“Guaranteeing our residents and visitors a safe and quality infrastructure is our priority.What we are beginning today with this first stone is a better air infrastructure necessary to comply with the capital improvement plan and federal requirements, as well as how it will impact the economic and tourist development of the island municipality of Vieques and Puerto Rico,” Vélez Vega pointed out.It will only apply to travelers arriving from the United StatesThe ex-president, who preferred not to comment on the possible incorporation of Rosselló into the delegation, maintained that the will of the voters must be respectedThe Court of First Instance ordered the government to show cause for which it should not grant the remedy requested by the employeesAs detailed by the executive director of the APPR, Ports worked the entire process of defining damages and estimating costs with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), with the assistance of COR3 for this project to be eligible for a 90% refund under the FEMA Public Assistance program.“I am proud to see the result of our work in the federal capital to inject tourism and economic development on Isla Nena.This first stone represents the joint work of Governor Pierluisi and the director of Puertos Pizá, for the reconstruction of Puerto Rico.As a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee of the Federal House, my priority is to guarantee federal funds for works like this one that we are inaugurating today that contribute to the economy of the Municipality of Vieques and create new jobs in times of great challenges for our people.I thank Governor Pierluisi and the director of the Pizá Ports Authority for their commitment to ensure that the federal funds allocated are used for works like this one,” said the resident commissioner.The auction for the terminal reconstruction project, awarded to the Steel & Pipes company, was held in mid-2020. The works, however, were delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.The cost of the improvements, which is estimated to be completed in about six months, amounts to $1,750,000 and will generate 21 direct, indirect and induced jobs.This project includes the replacement of the roof and drainage system, doors and glass in the terminal building;repair of the roof membrane and drainage system in the Air Rescue building;replacement of the roof, doors and other work on the Vieques Air Link hangar;and repairs to the roof of the maintenance buildings and Café Isla Nena, among others.For his part, the executive director of COR3 stressed that Vieques is a great attraction for visitors and its economy largely depends on tourism.“The improvements to the access roads at the airport, together with other priority projects that this Administration is promoting, will allow the recovery of the tourism sector, among others.As a result of the recovery efforts, Isla Nena will promote its economic development in favor of the people of Vieques.At COR3 we work as a team together with the officials who lead these reconstruction works and we attend to each project as a matter of urgency for the well-being of citizens and fulfilling the commitment of Governor Pedro R. Pierluisi”.In addition, Pizá Batiz also announced the start of the project to rehabilitate the pavement and electrical systems for visual aids for air navigation at the facility.The condition of the pavement at the Vieques airport was evaluated and it was determined that it needed attention.For this purpose, Puertos advanced the design and auction stages to meet this condition and recently these works were awarded to the firm Desarrolladora JA to soon start the runway project, added Pizá Batiz.The works, at a cost of $12,842,880, will consist of pavement improvements, and would include asphalt surface work, paint marking, drainage, and demolition of the Charlie forecourt.This project will generate 74 direct, indirect and induced jobs.The runway project would also include rebuilding all visual navigation aid systems;lighting of the airfield, signaling signs, windsock (“windsock”), the lighthouse (“beacon”), and a new vault specifically for current regulators with emergency generator with its additional fuel tank.“At the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, this project to lay the first stone for the reconstruction and renovation of the Passenger Terminal and the Runway of the Antonio Rivera Rodríguez airport on Isla Nena de Vieques fills us with enthusiasm, since this will facilitate the connection routes with the big island of Puerto Rico.On the other hand, we are certain that this modernization of the facilities of the Antonio Rivera Rodríguez airport will serve as an attraction to increase the proliferation of trips on the route to Vieques, which will result in better services for the route of the residents and visitors of Vieques, which will also mean a boost to tourism and the economic development of Isla Nena and the Eastern Region of Puerto Rico,” said the executive director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, Carlos Mercado Santiago.The head of Ports explained that keeping airports in optimal conditions and complying with FAA regulatory standards are a priority for the Authority.“For this reason, Puertos continues to optimize its air facilities, in this case the Vieques airport, to improve the level of service we provide, both to passengers, as well as to the airlines that use them.In this way, we continue to contribute to the economic development of the island municipality and its residents”, concluded Pizá Batiz.Would you like to receive notifications of the most important news?