Business activities along the North Coast road of Madang province have come to a halt after a one-lane bridge collapsed last night.
Accessibility to and from Madang town was affected after a heavy truck was trying to cross over.
Hundreds of commuters, including betelnut sellers and locals, have been stranded on both sides of the bridge since 11 O’clock last night.
Locals are charging commuters K2 to cross over by boat and a bag of betelnut by K6 per person.
This bridge is located between Talidig and Kubukam- a 45-minute drive out of Madang town.
Member for Bogia, Robert Naguri, says the bridge was built in 1952 and has a lifespan of 50 years. It has gone past its lifespan.
The Northcoast road is the economical corridor for Madang province especially for the people of Bogia, Sumkar and those who travel from Sepik by boat.
Sumkar MP, Chris Nangoi also urged locals to allow commuters and the general public to travel to and fro freely without harassing them.
The two MPs are also looking at creating a bypass for the time being to allow traffic to return to normal while allowing the reconstruction of the bridge.
Meanwhile, police are on site, providing security to commuters and the general public.
