The goal is to move nearly 8,000 military men and women from the bases in Okinawa Japan to the island of Guam. This has sparked a major building frenzy on the island as the aging infrastructure is simply too outdated to support this kind of a population change. The US and Japan governments have been working out who will pay for what in this multi-billion dollar Guam construction project. Below are examples of the many Guam construction projects contractors will be invited to bid upon.
Port Authority
The only way to get goods in and out of Guam is by ship, which requires a port. The island has a port but it is nowhere near ready to double in production, which is what will be required by the massive military buildup on the island. Guam bid requests will include increasing the size of the container storage area, extending the wharf and installing at least one new crane. Bids for this work are expected to top 195 million dollars.
Residential
Before 8,000 military personnel and their families can make the move to Guam, residential housing will need to be built. Overall, it is expected that 14,000 people will be moving to this island paradise by 2014 and current home numbers are insufficient to provide homes. These construction jobs may not be the first on the list but it is sure they will be on the agenda before the Guam buildup is complete.
Sewer and Water
You cannot add a significant number of houses without shoring up the sewage and water systems. Guam bid requests will include laying new sewer lines, building up to date treatment facilities and much more. The same construction needs can be expected for all other major utilities on the island as well.
Public Service Facilities
Also on the agenda for Guam, construction projects will be the addition of schools, hospitals and roads or bridges. More people will mean more children, travel and health care needs as well as military bases and facilities. These contracts will be awarded to companies from around the world, with the exception of some of the more sensitive military installations; these will likely be reserved for US based companies.
Conclusion
There are many opportunities in construction on the beautiful island of Guam. Most of the construction should be completed by 2014 to stay on target for the military move from Okinawa; however, there will certainly be projects that will extend beyond that deadline.
