Banab Bridge delay leads to rising costs, social problems

THE delay in construction of the Banab Bridge in Madang has created more social problems into the Banab area.
Matugar village spokesman Jeffrey Patal said the bridge, which had collapsed in January, has still not been repaired.
This vital lifeline has affected people from West and East Sepik and Bogia in Madang.
Patal said the bridge was an important facility and work on it should not be continuously delayed.
“Where is the money sent to the contractor engaged to reconstruct the bridge?” he said.
“Why is it still being delayed?”
Patal said villagers travelling across the Banab River by dinghy and bamboo bridge had to pay to cross.
“This is an expensive exercise for us small people in the village,” he said.
“At some point, frustrations build up and cause different factions to fight.”
There was another big fight last Thursday near Banab Bridge which caused Banab landowners to block off the temporary bypass.
Vehicles that travelled from Bogia could not cross and spent the night on the other side near Matugar village.
Madang acting provincial administrator John Bivi said that funding had already been made available to Aces Ventures Construction Company to work on the bridge.
Work has started with assessment of the weight of the bridge and pillars were driven into the river bed.
Bogia and Karkar people have raised concerns over the delay.
“We were told the bridge would be completed before end of the year,” Karkar Island main service provider Atis Deme said.
“From what we are seeing now, this won’t happen.”
Deme said the bypass was not really safe to travel through with locals on the alert to grab fees for passing through their land.
He said costs of goods and services had doubled and even tripled since the bridge collapsed.
“One year is about to be wasted,” Deme said.
“The government and responsible authorities must take action quickly to move the construction work.”