MP reports on highways, roads maintenance plan

Works and Implementation Minister Francis Awesa says a revised maintenance programme for national highways and provincial roads will be announced shortly.
Awesa was responding to question by Ijivitari MP David Arore on whether the Northern Highway in Northern (Oro) was included in the  Government’s budget for funding allocation.
Awesa said Northern had two national highways – Northern Highway and the Kokoda Highway. For Northern Highway, K10 million was allocated in last year’s (2016) budget.
“I will be making a detail response to the Ijivitari MP in regards to that money,” Awesa said.
He assured the Ijivitari MP that Northern Highway would be included in the revised maintenance programmes to be announced.
“The Government does recognise the importance of road links in Northern,” Awesa said.
“The programmes will commence this year and run for the next three years with government accelerating deferred road maintenance for all 16 national highways, provincial roads, town roads and some of the city roads.”
Awesa urged the MP to talk to him because two highways (Northern and Kokoda) in Oro were priority roads to be maintained.
“Northern is an important province because of its economic activities and tourism so the Government is making every effort to address the roads and bridge programmes in the province.”