Bridge back in service

IT has been a month since the reconstruction of the Yalo Bridge in Southern Highlands that opened up an access route for at least 100,000 people in Kagua-Erave to other parts of SHP and Western Highlands.
The bridge, which was jointly launched on Sept 15 by the Works office in both provinces, was built from emergency funding at a cost of K700,000.
It has restored accessibility for the people of Ialibu, Pangia and Kagul after the previous bridge was washed away.
Eyewitnesses said the previous bridge built in the 1960s was washed away by flood waters on Sept 7 last year, isolating people from the three districts.
Department of Works site reports said that type of rain only occurred every 50 years.
Mendi acting provincial works manager Thomas Dei said the project was one of eight repair works being carried out on bridges in the province under the emergency funding that had yet to be released.
Other emergency priority bridges that are still waiting for funding are the Pale Bridge (Ialibu) linking Mendi to Imbonggu; Wiwi Bridge (Pangia district), Kuni Bridge (Ialibu), Warabung Bridge (Kagua), Kengdal Bridge (Ialibu-Imbonggu), Una Bridge (Kagua) and Mapel Bridge (Imbonggu).