By Mortimer Yangharry
The Wapenamanda District Development Authority has started working on the road construction and upgrade of a vital economic road link, that will eventually join Baiyer in the Western Highlands Province and further into Madang Province.
Wapenamanda Open MP and Vice Minister for Works and Highways Miki Kaeok confirmed, that excavators have reached the Tombes area of the Wapenamanda Rural LLG which is approximately 40 kilometres out of Wapenamanda district headquarters and will continue down into Tupyokotes bordering Kompiam Ambum Open Electorate and further down to connect Mul-Baiyer Open Electorate of the Western Highlands Province.
The project aims to see this strategic road link joining Wapenamanda and Kompiam in Enga Province with Baiyer in the Western Highlands Province, and further into Madang Province.
The Baiyer-Madang road construction and upgrade will be funded under the national government’s Connect PNG Road Program, of which Works and Highways Minister, Solan Mirisin earlier this year said K1.6 billion is committed annually towards.
Other proposed roads that will come under the national government’s Connect PNG Road Program will be the Tsak Valley to Tambul in the Western Highlands Province and Tsak Valley to Kandep and eventually into Mendi in the Southern Highlands Province.
About 30 kilometres of roadwork has already been done with an excavator currently working at Tombes Ward 5 of the Wapenamanda Rural LLG, with approximately another 40 kilometres to cover before reaching Baiyer in the Western Highlands Province.
