Pacific International Inc. (PII) mobilized for a significant outer island construction project earlier this month.
A PII construction crew has set up shop at Bikarej Island in Arno Atoll to begin construction of a long-awaited boat channel project.
Bikarej, which sits at the northwest corner of one of the biggest atolls in RMI, is a difficult island to access. Often at low tide, people take boats close to the ocean side reef, passengers get in the water, scramble up the sharp coral and walk in across the extended coral reef flat in calf-deep water to reach the island.
Entering the lagoon across the reef requires extremely careful navigation at the right tide period.
The work at Arno has two parts:
- Construct a boat channel at Bikarej Island.
- Build a boat pass at Kirien, which is a reef location between Bikarej and Ulien.
Three years ago, PII completed a similar project at Lib Island in the Ralik Chain that has made the single island more easily accessible by boats delivering food, supplies and passengers.
PII has been contracted for the $500,000 project by the RMI Ministry of Public Works in partnership with Arno Atoll Local Government.
The work is funding by the US Department of Interior.