Delay in fixing collapsed bridge frustrates people

HUNDREDS of people using the Kayan-Bogia road in Madang have struggled to find their way through there for more than a year after the Nubia Bride collapsed.
People travelling from Kayan to Bogia used to cross at the coastline and emerge through an access route they were forced to create when the bridge collapsed.
The Nubia Bridge collapsed in March 2018 when a PMV truck was crossing over.
PMV owner Francis Morris said the road from Kayan village to Nubia had potholes and had greatly deteriorated. Not many vehicles are using it.
“We vehicle owners are worried about the bad condition of the road because it is costing us more to service our vehicles,” Morris said.
Passengers travelling to Wewak and parts of Angoram in East Sepik connect their trips at Nubia because most vehicles refuse to continue because of its atrocious condition.
Driver Sali Huambu said authorities had stopped fixing the road beyond Nubia Plantation because of the collapsed bridge.
Huambu called on the government to look into the issue and fix the bridge.
“The section of the highway allows more than K50,000 to flow in and out of Sepik and Madang through the betel nut trade, marine food and cocoa and copra,” he said.
“This is an economic road and it has to be fixed quickly.”
Morris said the bridge collapsed soon after the Banab Bridge. Now that the Banab Bridge is fixed, the Nubia Bridge is unsuable.