Imwiin te mwakuri korakora ibukin katiaakin buriiti iaon Marakei aika Nei Tangangau buriiti ao mwakuri ni katamaroa nakon Nei Reei buriiti n ikotaki ma uoua te tai katamaroa nakon te kawai ao e anga bwanaana te Minita Tekeeua Tarati n te botaki ni katabwena iaon Norauea, Marakei bwa ena uboaki ni kanikinakeaki tiana ao ni kaaitauaki ana intinia te MISE n raonaki irouia kain te aba ake a tia n anga korakoraia ibukin buokan katiakin te buriiti aio are e a mwakena naba iai anganakin te Kauntira ni Marakei bwa ena kona ni manga reitaki te mwakuri n tararua iaona.
“I aki maninga n anga te kakaitau nakon raou ni Minita are e a tia n tararua te MISE imwain rokou, are e a Tibiika ngkai Willie Tokataake. Ngaia ma ana taan rabakau ao a tia n iangoia bwa a nang kibaria ...ana kataumwane te Tautaeka rinanon te MISE ae te Maintenance Fund.... Ngke noria bwa iai tataran te mwane ao a iangoia bwa a nang kibara ana kainano Marakei aei, are ngaia e kabanea te mwaiti ni mwane ae raka iaon $500,000 mai moan karaoana ni karokoa te tai aei, ngaia are na bubuti tina anga baira n uboia naake I a tia ni mwaneweia ikai”, e taekinna te Minita Tekeeua Tarati inanon ana tai ni marooro.
E karaoaki te bukamaru aio ni mwaaken Nei Tangangau buriiti ao ni kaainaki irouia Unimwane ma Unainen Marakei, te Meeia, Kauntira, tabeman kaain te aba ao ai ana tiim te MISE are e a kaainaki iroun te Minita Tekeeua Tarati, Tia Koroboki Dr Farran Redfern, Director General Jimmy Nuake, Principal Civil Engineering Panapa Pita, ao tabeman riki taan mwakuri.
E moanaki te butimwaai nakon ana tiim te MISE aio iroun te Unimwane ma te Unaie, te Meeia mai Marakei ma Kauntira n te marae ni wanikiba ao ni katokaaki aia bau n te Kanimabong 14 bongin Maati, ao ni manga kairaki kain te tiim nakon aia tabo n te O ni Katorika ibukin aia kateiwae.
Ni kanoan te burokuraem ao e moanaki te katabwanin n te Kaonobong imwiin rokoia kain te tiim ni moa man te aoa tebwina n te ingabong ike ea waaki naba te katabwanin ni kaneweaba ao n karoko n taian buriiti aika Nei Reei buriiti ao Tangangau buriiti.
N rokon te Tiim n Tangangau buriiti ao e waaki te botaki ni butimwaai ao ni katabwena ike e anga iai ana marooro te Minita Tarati ni katerei iai kakawakin te mwakuri ao katamaroa iaon te buriiti ma te kawai aio, kaitauakiia Intinia man te MISE n ikotaki ma kaain Marake ake a tia n bane korakoraia ibukin iangoan ao katiaakin te buriiti.
Reei ao Tangangau buriiti n ikotaki ma kawain Marakei bon teuana mai ibuakon taben te MISE ake e a moanibwaiaki inanon te 100 ni bong, ao bon teuana naba ana tabeka Marakei ae aki toki n uouotia rake inanon te Auti n Tei man inanon te ririki 2018, ao ni kakoroaki nanona inanon te ririki aio are e a tia ni mwakuria te Tautaeka ni Kiribati rinanon ana aobiti ae te MISE ao n kabongana te Maintenance Fund ibukin mwakurian katamaroa aikai iaon Marakei.
Te karikirake ae Tangangau buriiti e moa waakinan karaoana inanon Okitobwa 2023 ao ni barongaaki iai ana tiim ni mwakuri te MISE n ikotaki ma taian mitiin ake ana kabonganai ao bwaai ni mwakuri riki tabeua n aron te site clearance ao te stockpiling. N raabanen naba te namwakaina ae Tuun 2024, ao a karokoaki bwaai ni mwakuri iaon Marakei ibukin onobwai nakon te buriiti ae Tangangau bridge ao n tabwanin karaoana inanon Beberuare 2025. Irarikin naba anne ao e reitinako te mwakuri ni katamaroa nakon Reei bridge ao karaoan te kawai are e nakon uoua te tai te mwakuri ni katamaroa nako iai imwain kitanan Marakei irouia taan mwakuri ni moan Maati 2025. Karikirake aika teniua aikai a bane n mwanenaki iaan te Maintenance Fund ibukin katoronibwaian te botannaomata iaon Marakei.
E kanakoa bwanaana ni kaaitau te Unimwane ao te Meeia mai Marakei inanon tain te katabwena ao n kaaitaua te Tautaeka ngkai e a tia ni mwakuria ao ni kakoroa nanon ana bubuti Marakei aio. E reitia riki n taekinna bwa n te tai aio ao e a nang kakatia Marakei bwa e a tabwanin kawaina ao e na nang bebete te mwamwananga irouia ataein te reirei, ena buoka tikotikonakin te kabanemwane iaon te bwaa, ao ni kaungai mwakuri ni kaneweaba ibukia iruwa ake a kakawara Marakei ao tabeua riki.
Imwiin taian marooro ao e a karaoaki te koro reeben iroun te Unaine ao buun te Meeia mai Marakei imatan Tangangau buriiti are e a mwaakena naba ukin ao touakin te buriiti irouia te botannaomata iaon Marakei.
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The Honourable Minister of Infrastructure and Sustainable Energy, Tekeeua Tarati, has applauded the efforts of MISE Engineers, including former Minister Willie Tokataake, and Marakei people for their contributions to the successful completion of Nei Tangangau Bridge and maintenance work on Nei Reei Bridge and twice the road maintence work to Marakei Island.
The handing-over ceremony took place in Norauea village near Tangangau Bridge, attended by Minister Tarati, Secretary Dr. Farran Redfern, Director General Jimmy Nuake, Principal Civil Engineer Panapa Pita, and other officials. The event also included participation from the Mayor, Elders, Island Council members, and local community representatives.
Upon their arrival on Friday, March 14, at Marakei Airport, the Minister and his team were warmly welcomed with garlands by the Island Council members, including the Mayor, before proceeding to their accommodations at the Catholic hotel.
Tangangau Bridge has been a long-standing priority for the Ministry of Infrastructure and Sustainable Energy (MISE), frequently raised in parliamentary sessions ever since the completion of Nei Reei bridge since in 2018. Recognizing the bridge’s importance to the people of Marakei, the MISE office allocated more than $500,000 from the maintenance fund 2023 to rehabilitate the existing bridge structure, that is fully funded by the government of Kiribati.
The construction on Tangangau bridge began in October 2023 by mobilizing MISE team with their heavy equipment and some materials, to begin with preparation work include site clearance and stockpiling. Late in June 2024, the materials had arrived in Marakei to continue with replacement of Tangangau bridge and completed mid February 2025. The team had continued their work and completed the repair work on Reei bridge and maintained the road twice before leaving the island early March 2025. Note the same funding initiative also covered repairs for the Reei Bridge and maintain the road twice on Marake for ensuring safer and more reliable access for the community.
Minister Tarati highlighted that the celebration was not only about the completion of these critical infrastructure projects but also about fulfilling MISE’s 100-day commitment which is now handed over to the Island Council to continue safeguarding and maintenance to the bridges and road. He emphasized that these achievements reflect the government’s dedication to sustainable infrastructure development and improving the well-being of communities and its people.
The Mayor of Marakei has responded in his speech acknowledging the completion of the project and the dedication of MISE staff and others which has accommodate the need of the island through the need of road maintenance and bridge rehabilitation and for visitors, students to drive around the island improving fuel cost saving and promote economic activities and so forth.
The speeches were then followed by the cutting of the bridge ribbon performed by the Unaine and Mayor wife, which marked the end of the celebration and opening of the bridge usage for all people on Marakei island.
