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Sports |
Indepth research vital for road works
I READ with interest the comments
made over the proposed highway to link Port Moresby and the
Highlands. I believe these arguments would carry more weight if
there were facts and figures such as cost benefit analysis to
support their arguments.
Establishment of such data is vital not only for decision-making
but also for the public to comment on.
I wish to highlight what we need as far as transportation is
concerned.
The Highlands Highway for instance, has used up so much money.
Everyone says that it is the lifeline of PNG and as such,
allocation of funds (as everyone perceives) is a prerequisite
for this single road.
How much money do we have to spend year in year out? What is the
effect so far from the maintenance and upgrading, consultancy on
various forms of studies, etc, on this road?
Is there any report on what engineers call a “service life” for
this road or even the sections just maintained where after that
many number of years, the road is expected to undergo some form
of maintenance?
Even the maintained portion deteriorates in few months. It seems
that everyone, from MPs down to the departmental heads and
whoever are in charge of the highway, did not seem to “learn”
from what is happening.
Learning is a vital skill for proper management and leadership
in accomplishing a certain task. Can we establish all our facts
and figures of the road network systems once and for all?
For instance, by now we should have known all the geological
conditions along the Highlands Highway as well as our sources of
construction materials because we have done it repeatedly.
Our design, construction and maintenance should target
conditions of the established facts and figures on topology,
geology, the river (water) network systems and other vital
parameters.
We cannot simply rely on the Australian and British standards of
calibrating geotechnical parameters, or the pavement design
variables and other important elements in the design,
construction and maintenance of our roads without studying our
own land.
I think the Department of Works or the Department of Transport
(whoever is responsible) should promote and seriously work on
research.
Research here should not be focused on writing abstracts and
doing library and internet researches but rather an
investigative technical move to establish standards on road
design, construction and maintenance on all our roads.
We should know our
geological conditions, the sources of our construction materials
especially gravel, and other topographical parameters on all
major roads when conducting transportation researches.
We cannot continuously design, construct and maintain roads on
trial and error basis depending on foreign standards and
specifications.
Although such established standards are a prerequisite, we
should use them as a guide but have our own standardised
manuals, procedures, etc, based on continuous research and
technical calibration.
I think it is time PNG established a transportation research
institution. Otherwise, get our Works engineers to conduct and
study in their respective provinces to establish such facts and
figures in order to carry the nation forward.
Enough of maintenance. Let us review such problems by
aggressively prioritising on undivided research.
This approach can be true for other transportation modes
including air and sea/water.
Nanze Ongo
Surabaya, Indonesia
 
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