District spends K700,000 to fix highway

By EHEYUC SESERU
THE Menyamya development authority has used K700,000 from its district services improvement programme (DSIP) funding to maintain a deteriorated section of the Bulolo-Menyamya Highway in Morobe.
Menyamya MP Benjamin Philip said the funds from DSIP would be used for work on a by-pass for the deteriorated Gumi section in Watut local level government in Bulolo.
Philip said the highway was a transnational highway and the district was working on part of it even though it was in Bulolo.
He said creating the by-pass was part of an overall K50 million project under the Government’s Connect PNG policy.
“This section will be a problem when transporting machineries if it’s not maintained,” Philip said.
“Kumalu River and Hapayata section at Gumi in Bulolo will be a hindrance to the work on the transnational high.   “This section must be improved for traffic to flow so other planned projects in Aseki and Menyamya can start.”
Philip said if fixed, it would enable access for goods and services to flow through and would benefit people in Marawaka in Obura-Wonenara, Eastern Highlands and Bena.
He said the road from Hidden Valley junction outside Bulolo to Kol Maunten-Oiwa junction, Aseki-Menyamya station, Oiwa junction to Poiyu and Poiyu to Bema High School in Kaintiba, Gulf, would all cost K10 million respectively.

Menyamya MP Benjamin Philip (left) visiting the deteriorated section
of the Bulolo-Menyamya Highway (inset) at Gumi in Watut.
– Picture supplied