More than 5,000 people living in the foot hills of Papua New Guinea’s second highest mountain, Mt Giluwe are for the first time in decades travelling on a good all-weather road.
Major road upgrading work started over a month ago on the Pundia-Limbiale road in one of Imbonggu district’s remotest parts with extremely deteriorated road conditions due to lack of maintenance since before 2000.
Local company, Yameno Building Contractors has done exceptionally well to fill stones in muddy filled and badly damaged sections of the road as well as re-gravelling a 10-kilometre section from off the Mt Hagen - Mendi Highway junction towards Pundia primary school.
President of Lower Mendi Local Level Government Peter Kundi said apart from greatly reducing vehicle travel time in and out of that area, the improved road condition has also reduced wear and tear of vehicles, punctured tyres and high fuel consumption.
Kundi thanked Imbonggu MP Francis Awesa for attending to his people’s plight by providing K500,000 assistance to carry out the road maintenance work.
He made an on-the-spot inspection of the road repair work last week and commended workmen for quality work done in the past six weeks with the initial K120,000 the company got in mobilisation cost.
Work is continuing and is expected to be completed next month.