Bridge to be completed – The National

Pastor Robert Raim pointing to the 65-metre-long Waghi-Mugmamp bridge that is yet to be completed. Also pictured are a man and his child forced to cross the river on a tube. – Picture curtesy of ROBERT TIKI

MORE than 5,000 people of Mugmamp in the Anglimp-South Waghi electorate of Jiwaka are expected to receive better government services soon when the 65-metre-long Waghi bridge is completed.
This Bailey bridge, costing the district development authority about K8mil, is expected to be completed soon by contractor Essar Construction PNG Ltd. This will enable the people of Kopon Kopi, Truka-Memka, Kopia-Kumbuka and Moge to access more services and also help with the revival of three run-down coffee projects, government-owned forestry project and the closed Mugmamp community school located on the other side of the river.
The work on the bridge was put on hold due to the Covid-19.
Robert Raim, a pastor from Kapinum, said the bridge was a blessing from God.
Raim said they had been cut off from accessing basic services since the bridge was washed away by a flooded Waghi river 27 years ago.
“We had a difficult time sustaining our daily lives so we had to risk our lives to make wet crossing or resort to inflatable rafts to cross the raging river,” he said.
He said they were also at risk whenever the river broke its banks.
“Waghi Valley is one of the valleys where a lot of food and vegetables that reach other parts of Papua New Guinea come from,” he said.