Parliament approves K260.5 mil for road works

National

THE Government has allocated K260.5 million for the expansion of the Gulf-Southern Highlands Trans-Island Highway and roads on Bougainville.
Minister for Works Michael Nali said the Government was committed to upgrading the road from Gulf to Southern Highlands so that it becomes a highway.
“What is also needed is preliminary engineering work for the Trans-Island Highway from Lae to Malalaua in Gulf,” he said.
“It will also cost K50 million to upgrade the roads in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.”
The K260.5 million was included in the 2019 Supplementary Budget passed by Parliament last Friday.
Nali said the K50 million for Bougainville roads was to support the people of AROB.
He said the roads would improve service delivery to the people and enable farmers, fishermen and artisans to access resources and markets.
Nali said an additional K100 million was for the construction of the remaining 12 kilometres of road between Samberegi and Erave on the Gulf-Southern Highlands highway which would connect Kikori in Gulf to Erave and Kagua in Southern Highlands.
“This highway is part of a multimodal transport development, which will provide alternate and more direct access to Port Moresby and international markets for importers and exporters in the Highland and Gulf,” he said,
The Department of Works will begin the planning and preliminary engineering works for the Trans-Island highway to connect Malalaua in Gulf to Bulolo in Morobe through Aseki