Venues enter Phase 4

 By HENRY MORABANG
The major developer of the 2015 Pacific Games venues, China Railway Construction Group (CRCG) yesterday signed a K14 million contract to develop and complete Phase 4 of the Games Village project at the University of Papua New Guinea.
The phase 4 of the project includes the construction of the Dinning Hall for the 2015 Pacific Games Village.
CRCG beat two other bidders XYZ Construction and Fletcher Morobe Construction for the Phase 4 contract.
CRCG Operation Manager Karl Lee said after the signing at the Government House in Port Moresby that he was happy to sign the project.
He continued that this is their first project with Pacific Games, and he believed that they can finish the project within eight months before the start of the Games.
Venue Infrastructure Equipment Committee (VIEC) deputy chairperson Mel Donald who signed on behalf of the PNG Government said her committee is working under an extreme time frame to ensure the project are completed on time.
She said the K14,149.330.00 contract is for Phase 4 of the Games Village. Phase One included earthworks, Phase Two tiling and foundation, and Phase Three is the main Games Village at Waigani campus.
Ms Donald said Phase 5 which will be out for tender soon is the Drill Hall and the Sporting Grounds at the University’s vicinity.
Other major sporting infrastructure including the Rita Flynn Courts will soon be out for tender.
“We are expecting the opening of the bid early next week,” she said.
Other grounds at Bisini Parade (Boroko Sports Gound) which include softball, soccer, rugby union will also go through redevelopment once their bid is put on the open market.
Donald said they want to finish everything and hand over the facilities to the Games Organising Committee by April 2015 to allow local athletes to train and have a feel of the new facilities.
“We are working on a tight scheduled as of today onwards,” she said.
VIEC needs massive cooperation from contractors to see that there is no delay and the projects (sporting venues) are ready on time.
She said VIEC has its own Project Team on sites to make sure the contractors are doing their job.
“It is in our best interests that the companies meet their contractual obligation to deliver the venues on time for the Games,” she said.