PNGCars

Leaders from Kurumbakari in Madang province are calling on the Government to provide better roads to ensure the safety of road travellers on PNG’s national highways.
Commenting on the State of the Ramu – Madang Highway, Kurumbukari Limited Senior Project ad Administration Officer, Chris Aizuwe said the Government is not enough to fix the highway which is suffering from heavy erosion. He said the highway not only serves the normal travellers but also big businesses such as Ramu Agro Industries, Ramu Nickel Mine, the Yandera Copper Mine as well as the activities of the numerous exploration companies in the region and business in Madang, Ramu and Lae.
The Ramu – Madang Highway has been suffering from the effects of heavy rain in the area that has washed out bridges, flooded the roads and caused massive landslips in recent weeks.
But its not just the Ramu – Madang Highway that’s been effected by heavy rain. On the Okuk Highway, two bridges were washed out in Eastern Highlands, effectively ending transport between the five highlands provinces and Lae and Madang.
Containers of suppliers and fuel heading for highlands were stranded in Lae, leading to a situation of stores running out of stock and fuel stations putting up ‘No Fuel’ notices. Later, the Department of Works was able to construct temporary bridges to allow light vehicles to pass and as far as we know, the highway is connected again.
The Minister for Transport and Civil Aviation, Don Polye has stated the county’s roads need at least K300 million a year to maintain them.