Tapo River Bridge opened

Prime Minister James Marape braved the morning rain on Wednesday, April 12, 2023 to travel on a light citation jet to Madang to officially open six new bridges at the cost of K120 million.

PM Marape’s delegation of MPs including Treasurer Ian Ling-Stuckey, Minister for Works and Highways, Solan Mirisim, Minister for Education, Jimmy Uguro and Madang Governor, Ramsey Pariwa, MP for Rai Coast, Kessy Sawang, and Member for Mul-Baiyer, Jacob Maki to Madang.  

They travelled by road along the Madang-Ramu Jepcott Highway to Tapo bridge, one of the six bridges to be opened in the province. The other bridges are Bora, Gusap, Miai, Drai Wara, and Wasigo.

Tapo Bridge, on Madang’s south coast in the Astrolabe Bay LLG of Rai Coast district was opened being witnessed by thousands of people including locals and those from Madang town and Usino-Bundi district who braved the rain to converge on the venue of the official ceremony.

Of the six bridges for Madang, Tapo is a new bridge and the longest at a length of 161 meters and cost K18 million. 

The funding for the six new bridge was secured from the European Investment Bank loan assistance; under the Bridge Replacement for Improved Rural Access Program (BRIAP). 

PM Marape thanked the European Investment Bank (EIB) for the loan assistance, which made it possible for the construction of the six new bridges in Madang province.

He also thanked the Works Department officials both in Madang and Port Moresby and the Secretary David Wereh for facilitating the work on the six new bridge to progress smoothly to completion.

Marape added that roads and bridges to connect the unconnected and unserved areas in this country would continue to remain a priority for the country until 2040. 

This commitment has been in place since 2020 and has given rise to the Government’s flagship program, Connect PNG. 

Connect PNG aims to create road accessibility throughout the country in order to give all Papua New Guineans an opportunity to create wealth to improve their livelihood.

The PM challenged the people of Madang Province to make good use of the bridges and the road.

He urged local people living along main highways and places easily accessible by road infrastructure to make use of the opportunities presented to them by the government, by engaging in economic activities.

He said the development and improvement of road infrastructures in the country must be complemented with economic activities. However, he also discouraged the indigenous people of Madang from selling their customary land to outsiders, but to use it for economic activities to improve their livelihood.

Prime Minister promised that more developments are being lined up for Madang Province under the current crop of leaders that the province has

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