Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On Monday, September 7, 2026 the Port Administration of American Samoa (PAAS) met with the Aunu’u Community at the Aunu’u CCCAS Hall to review the upcoming wharf expansion and boat ramp repair project. 

The 1.5-hour meeting was attended by over 40 members of the Aunu’u Community and five PAAS representatives and focused on obtaining feedback from the community on concerns about the harbor and general commuting challenges to include in the project design. 

The project in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Honolulu District, and the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (MARAD) is currently in the permitting phase and is progressing into the 65% Design Phase which will require geotechnical investigations on the island in the upcoming months. The project is expected to go out for construction bid in October 2027.

During the meeting Pulenu'u Aleaga Vaipuna Nili and members of the community expressed their concerns of safety especially during the extreme tidal event that occurred in June 2026, which caused significant tidal activity in the small boat harbor resulting in harbor closures. Residents and Alia Operators were unable to utilize the harbor during that tidal event due to the tidal surges which at times cause waves to go over the breakwater and the wharf. The community emphasized the need to repair the eastern wave absorber to ensure that no additional erosion will occur within the harbor.

PAAS confirmed that they are currently working with USACE to ensure that the compromised section is repaired.

Director Barney Sene led the discussion and inquired whether there was interest in expanding the small boat harbor to allow for a greater area of protection from the open ocean. The majority of the members present were in favor of expansion and requested additional measures to stop the waves from entering the small boat harbor. An Alia Operator expressed that the harbor is too small which makes maneuvering and mooring multiple alia in the harbor difficult especially during extreme tidal events.

The next steps for the project include finalizing the Environmental Assessment (EA) as required through the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) which requires federal agencies to assess the environmental effects of their proposed actions prior to making decisions. Feedback from the Community Meeting will be reviewed with USACE to determine what elements can be incorporated into the 65% Design documents. Additional community meetings will be held as the project design progresses.

The wharf reconstruction is designed to accommodate the inter-island passenger vessels (via the Alia), the new Department of Health Medical Vessel and cargo operations via landing craft vessels.

The estimated construction cost is $3.7 million, with a projected timeline starting in February 2028 and completed before 2029. This infrastructure modernization project will restore safe, reliable, and long-term maritime access to Aunu‘u Island, supporting the community’s well-being and daily operations for decades to come.