MADANG Ramu Highway will be upgraded and sealed before the end of this year by the National Government says Minister for Transport and Infrastructure and Madang Open MP, Nixon Duban.
Minister Duban took two days inspecting the road driving from Madang Airport to Waterise in the Ramu Plains to feel and see the state of the highway.
In an interview after the inspection he said the 195 kilometre road starting from Madang Airport all the way to Waterise needs urgent intervention from the government after the Australian government failed to live up to their agreement to build and seal the highway.
“ I drove from Madang Airport all the way to Waterise to cover the 195 kilometres which is the distance that the Department of Works has recommended for major maintenance the road is in a very bad condition and it is not accessible by public and structurally is fragmented and needs urgent intervention,”
“I would firstly like to commend the Department of Works for taking the initiative to allow light maintenance which is giving the general public access to the use of the highway,” Duban said.
The Minister added that the National Government will now intervene and the procurement process for the first 65 kilometres of Madang- Ramu Highway coming out off Waterise has been concluded.
He said there will be three major contractors each will concentrate on 65 kilometres of the road starting from Waterise all the way to Madang Airport.
“We are looking at quality, control and competition among those three contractors,” Minister Duban said.
Duban said the Australian Government has made a commitment and assured us during the Manus Asylum Seekers negotiations that they will take care of this part of the road and so far this commitment has not come good.
“As a result the National Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Peter O’Neill intervenes and looks into some ways to raise funds to fix those parts of the highway that is affected.”
“Let me appeal to the people of Madang, Lae and the general travelling public of the highlands that the government is committed and will fix this highway before the end of year 2016,” Duban said.
Picture: Minister Duban inspecting the section of Madang Ramu Highway