Climate-resilient roads and bridges eyed

AFFECTS of climate change are putting much pressure on infrastructures, so the Works Department is looking at building climate-resilient roads and bridges, Secretary David Wereh says.
Wereh, explaining the department’s efforts to meet some challenges brought about by the impacts of climate change, said the department was moving away from the traditional “project-based approach” to a “programme-based approach”.
“The testament of this policy shift that we have undertaken over the past five years has seen the Works Department replacing single-lane bailey bridges with standard double-lane concrete bridges in Oro (Northern) and Central provinces last year,” he said.
“Oro was a disaster-prone province where we usually heard of reports of bridges being washed away – that now has become a thing of the past.
“You would never hear that news again and that’s a testament to the Works Department’s commitment and the policy shift it undertakes with the new challenges that are being brought about because of changes in climate and environment,” Wereh said.
He said the Works Department in partnership with the Asian Development Bank and support from the government is looking at building double-lane standard concrete bridges along the Coastal Sepik Highway and the Madang Ramu Highway this year.
“Under the bridge replacement for improved rural access project (BRIRAP) package one, which is co-financed by the Asian Development Bank in Central province, consists of six bridges along the Hiritano Highway – namely Laloki, Brown River and Angabanga Bridge.
“On Magi Highway, you have Dogona, Kokebagu and Sivitana bridges. All were completed and commissioned last year.
“So the approach now is to apply advance engineering so that the bridge and the road infrastructures that we build must be able to withstand floods and cyclones.”