K1m needed to repair bridge

By LARRY ANDREW
THE Works Department needs up to K1 million to repair the Busu Bridge damaged by the raging Busu River in the Wain-Erap local level government, an official says.
Kesu Lucas, the deputy provincial administrator for infrastructure development in Morobe, told The National that the Nawaeb district headquarters was at Boana serving the Wain-Erap, Nabak and Labuta LLGs.
Lucas said services were cut off and the immediate task was to fix the bridge.
He said it needed the intervention of Morobe Governor Kelly Naru to seek emergency funding.
“We may need between K500,000 to K1 million to fix the bridge,” Lucas said.
“And I will task my officials to talk to the Works Department to seek for four bases (to strengthen the bridge).
“We can purchase it immediately and will start work on it before next week.”
Lucas said the bridge at the headwaters of Busu River and one down at Busu mountain collapsed in 1994. “After 22 years, the same situation had happened again. Once the temporary bridge is in place, we can build a permanent bridge,” he said.
“That is our endeavour to take on with a proper design.”
Lucas said they needed K500,000 to repair the bridge.