Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Potholes in the territory’s roads continue to be a problem into the new year.

Faipule Larry Sanitoa advised Deputy Director of Department of Public Works Faalavai Ta’ase in December 2024 of the dire need for filling the potholes in areas such as the Faleniu bridge, which he said “school children use… to cross over to catch the school bus.”

Sanitoa further pointed to dangerous potholes in the Ottoville road area as well as several others on the main roads throughout the district.

The DPW deputy director in replying to Sanitoa’s concerns noted that “the contractor responsible for asphalt patching is out of bitumen at the moment.” He said that they hoped “they'll get some soon.” Ta’ase also noted the inclement weather, with fill being washed away as the potholes were being repaired.

On Jan. 7th, Faipule Sanitoa requested an update on the territory’s pothole issue, asking if the bitumen shipment had arrived.

“Fa'amolemole, what is the latest on the bitumen shipment for the contractor responsible to do the asphalt patching of potholes?”

Sanitoa said that while understanding the problem with the inclement weather, he asked if some temporary work could still be done “on filling the dangerous and deplorable potholes on the Ottoville/Fagaima road and the main road (Iliili next to KS Mart)?

“Perhaps ask the contractor who paved the Ottoville road about a year ago to help us with some solid fill as a temporary measure,” Sanitoa said.

To date, there has been no reply from DPW.