Bridge nearly ready

The Yowor Bridge, in Rai Coast district, Madang, is nearing its final stage of construction and will benefit more than 16,000 people in the Astrolabe Bay, an official says.
Senior project manager for Sun Moon and Star Design and Engineering Construction Company Chris Choi said yesterday the company was waiting for the final shipment of materials from South Korea to add the final touches of the bridge.
“We are just waiting for the shipment of materials,” Choi said.
He said SMS is aiming to completing the bridge by June.
Rai Coast MP James Gau gave SMS the final payment of K400,000 late last year.
Astrolabe Bay LLG president Amili Deide said people had found it hard to cross the Yowor River.
“People always cross the river and sometimes they were carried away by its fast current,” Deide said.
He said seeing the construction of the bridge was a big relief for the local people.
Gau allocated K8 million for the construction of the Minjeng Bridge and SMS is now doing feasibility studies.
“Rai Coast district is a district with many fast flowing rivers. As long as I am MP for the district, I will see that roads and bridges are constructed all the way from Madang to Saidor Station,” Gau said.
Gau said the K8 million was drawn from the National Department of Works and was a part payment. The  construction of Minjeng Bridge would cost K16.
Gau said this was the first time for Rai Coast to get a highest budget of funding from the Department of Works.
“I thank the O’Neill-Dion Government for a fair budget, the people of Rai Coast can now feel the presence of the government and feel they have a representative in parliament,” Gau said.