Japanese envoy happy with bridge project

 From MALUM NALU in Lae

JAPANESE Ambassador Morio Matsumoto is impressed with the quality of work at the Japanese-funded Markham Bridge in Morobe.

He said this during a visit yesterday to the bridge – a vital lifeline to the people of rural Morobe.

In March 2004, the Markham Bridge, the longest in the country, was closed to vehicles after some problems found on its piers, and the access road was eroded by flood.

Even though temporary works were carried out by the Government to make the bridge usable, it remained prone to damage caused by floods.

A study team sent from Japan from July to August 2005 found that there was an urgent need to construct new steel sheet piles for the foundation, repair of the Lae side abutment with installed concrete footing and steel pipe piles, reconstruct four piers, repair and repaint the steel girder, hand rails and guard rails over 560 metres.

Rehabilitation work began in October 2009 and was completed in December 2009 at a cost of K40 million to the Japanese Government.

“The reinforcement of Markham Bridge required high technology,” Japan International Cooperation Agency chief representative Shigeru Sugiyama said.

Japan, with a lot of bridge construction experience, decided to strengthen the structures and improve the bearing capacity of the bridge piers through rehabilitation works in cooperation with PNG to reinforce the Markham Bridge.