Businessman raises concerns over highway landslides

SIXTEEN landslides have occurred in the Henganofi-Kassam Pass-Yung Creek section of the Highlands Highway in Eastern Highlands, according to Trans Wonderland Ltd managing director Larry Andagali.
Andagali told The National yesterday that it was important that the Government through its annual budget allocations made available funding specifically for maintenance and the upkeep of the highway each year.
“Just over the weekend, one of my senior operations managers drove all the way from Mt Hagen in the Western Highlands to Lae, Morobe, to see the status and the condition of the road and the reality is that he literally counted 16 different landslides between Henganofi to Kassam Pass and Yung Creek,” Andagali said.
“That’s not including other sections like in Daulo, the Simbu sections and towards Nipa and Tari.”
Andagali said with the impact of climate change and unpredictable weather, roads and bridges were prone to disasters and deterioration so important economic corridors like the Highlands Highway should be given priority with separate maintenance funding to ensure maintenance work is done every three months or quarterly to ensure the road is in good, accessible condition.
“If there is any important road which the Government should focus on, I think it is the Highlands Highway because this is the economic corridor of the country,” he said.
“Permanent contractors need to be engaged by the Works Department on different sections of the highway so that they can continue to maintain and upkeep the road.
“Previously, there used to be such arrangements but now, they are not doing it anymore.”