Flood cuts h’way off

 THE Highlands Highway has been cut off since last Friday after heavy rain caused flooding of the Mangyang River at the Arafira village in Markham, Morobe.

It cut off traffic to Lae and Madang and the Highlands region. 

The downpour started on Thursday and by Friday at around 10am had caused the upper stream of Mangyang River to burst its banks in front of the Arafira village. That blocked a culvert in a ditch and flooded the road.

The culvert was eventually forced out and that prevented vehicles from travelling from Lae to Madang and the Highlands.

The Works Department started working on restoring the road yesterday. 

Morobe Works project engineer Danny Philip said it would cost between K50,000 and K60,000 and two days to repair the road. 

“My team will take this as an emergency work to have public temporarily access the road service as soon as possible,” Philip said. 

The ditch was enlarged to 6m wide and 2m deep by the flooding and the force of  water. 

Philip said Works engaged a local contractor to reconnect the road.

 Richard Mana, of the Arafira village, said youths at the village filled the ditch with bags of sand that helped vehicles to cross. However, police arrived at the scene yesterday and stopped them. 

Company vehicles were charged K100 and private ones K50.

Meanwhile, provincial police commander Augustine Wampe warned opportunists not to block the road or collect fees. Wampe said policemen were sent to the area.

“No one should be collecting fees. It is a government road,” he said.

“We hope it is restored soon.”