G-G signs road contracts

CONTRACTS for two major road projects in the country worth K176 million were signed yesterday in Port Moresby by Governor-General Bob Dadae.
The two road projects are the upgrading and sealing of the Gewa-to- Gembogl road in Chimbu and the maintenance and rehabilitation of Vanapa Bridge-to-Bereina Township road in the Kairuku-Hiri District of Central. ‘
The Gewa-to-Gembogl road will be fully financed by an Asian Development Bank loan of K105,752,224.29 and will be constructed by the China Harbour Engineering Company (PNG) Limited.
The section of the Hiritano Highway from Vanapa Bridge to Bereina Township will be constructed by Dekenai Constructions Ltd at a cost of cost K70,561,783.28 from the World Bank.
Secretary for Works and Implementation David Wereh said after the signing that these two important roads were part of the on-going improvements the Government was undertaking on main roads in the country.
“Both road contracts that we have signed are in line with the Government’s development goal to get 75 per cent of our network in good condition,” he said.
“As an implementing agency of government policy, we are grateful and want to assure the communities, the public and business houses of the quality and performance of these two contractors to do a standard job to make sure we see the value for money in these two important contracts.”
He said the Department of Works and Implementation was taking a long-term sustainable approach where contractors would now remain fulltime on the highways to manage and maintain roads on a four to five-year cycle.
“Work is now shifting away from the usual project-based approach to network and long-term performance-based projects,” he said.
Wereh said the 20km road from Gewa to Gembogl was the ongoing phase two of the upgrading and sealing under the Highlands Region Road Improvement Programme and would take 24 months to complete.
The 120km road from Vanapa Bridge to Bereina Township is a long-term performance-based maintenance contract which will take four years.
General manager of China Harbour Engineering Company Ma Jianhua thanked the Government for awarding the contract to them and assured that the project would be delivered as scheduled.
Dekanai Constructions managing director Matthew Fallon also thanked the Government and praised the Secretary for Works for the visionary approach to maintaining the road in Central.