by Ken Quintanilla

Guam - For the first time since it was built 34 years ago, the Port Authority of Guam is embarking on a journey toward modernization. Island dignitaries gathered today in Piti to break ground on the first project of many more to come to renovate and expand the island's only seaport.

Port Authority of Guam board chairman Dan Tydingco says it's the first part of a 50-million dollar grant given by the Department of Defense. "We're just glad that we're here, there's no need cursing the darkness or the past we're just moving forward and we're glad that we'll be able to get this facility modernized for the community and the employees down here because it's a long time coming," he said.

Today's groundbreaking was for the construction of the new Port container freight station where selected cargo containers are placed after coming off ships. Over the next three to five years about $105 million in construction will occur to modernize the Port Authority of Guam.

Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo said, "The groundbreaking was, in part, made possible by legislation that I sponsored and was included in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009. The groundbreaking builds on the progress that was made in this year's defense authorization bill, which loosens the restrictions on use of Japanese funding. Although it is not at the pace that many of us expected today, it is yet another demonstration of the Obama Administration's continued support and focus on the rebalance of forces in the Pacific and to ensuring that Guam's infrastructure requirements are supported."