Miner helps in repairing damaged bridge

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TIMELY repair work on the damaged Kera Bridge in Laiagam, Enga, by Barrick Niugini Limited’s Community Projects Roadworks team with support from other Porgera  Joint Venture departments saw the bridge re-opened on Aug 31.
Normal traffic along the Mulitaka-Porgera Highway resumed on  Aug 31 after the PJV team replaced  24 main and 12 side steel bridge decks that had been removed by disgruntled landowners from the area  a fortnight earlier.
This affected major trucking operations that provide logistics support to the mine site although mine operations remained normal.
As the bridge is part of the national highway, the Enga provincial department of works requested PJV’s assistance and had one of its civil engineers and two civil works supervisors engaged on location throughout.
The PJV team took a day and half to complete the repair work on the bridge and the damaged road pavement from Yapu to Kera.
The work was a combined effort of site departments that included the asset protection department, cranes crew, emergency response, fabrication workshop, community relations and engagement and the community projects group.
The PJV team was able to complete the work without any social issues from the community. The work was executed without any safety and environment issues.
Supervisor community relations, Robert Mass on behalf the company, thanked the Kera community for allowing work to go ahead to repair the bridge and have it re-opened.
“The road does not just affect the Government but the mine operations, business operators, stakeholders and commuters. You have realised this and allowed for it to be repaired and reopened and that is a good thing.”
Senior project engineer with the Department of Works in Wabag, Kerry Keu acknowledged Barrick Niugini’s promptness in stepping in to assist with its resources in situations of emergency and where the Government’s response was delayed.
“The Government’s efforts would have taken longer by at least a month or two to get the bridge fixed and PJV has done this in less than two days,” he said.
The provincial Department of Works plans to officially re-open the bridge later this month.