Additional funding of approximately K90 million has been approved to complete the second phase of the Lae-Nadzab road in Morobe Province.
Lae MP John Rosso made the announcement on Tuesday, September 8th, following the Cabinet decision.
Lae is slowly leaving behind the phrase “pothole city” with the upgrading of city roads, including the smooth One-Mile to Nine-Mile road – a portion of the Lae-Nadzab Highway.
It is at the Nine-Mile area that the bumpy ride begins all the way to the Yalu Bridge. However, that will soon be a thing of the past with the approval of K90 million to complete the second phase of the Lae-Nadzab road.
Rosso said the Lae-Nadzab highway was contracted out in 2013 by the previous government at a cost of K442 million, but could not progress due to lack of funding. This forced the contractors to stop working. Hence only the first phase of the highway – from the Bugandi roundabout to the Bulolo-Wau turnoff at Nine-Mile – was completed.
“Since the PANGU-led government got into power, it ensured many outstanding contracts for critical road infrastructure were paid out,” said the MP. “This was achieved by making K300 million available in the budget to pay outstanding road contract payments. This included the UNITECH-Tent City Road and the Nine-Mile to Yalu section of the highway.
“The government ensured funding was appropriated in this year’s budget to continue work. The K90 million funding will now ensure the contractors can complete this critical national road section.”
(The incomplete portion of the Nine-Mile road)
