Province to give K40,000 towards road construction

 THE Morobe provincial government has allocated K40,000 for the construction of a road which will serve more than 15,000 people in the Leron-Wantoat local level government in Markham.

Umi Yet Construction will build the 10-kilometre road from Tamaman to Awara.

Provincial Services Improvement Programme (PSIP) coordinator Kima Kilau said the amount was 10 per cent of the K400,000 committed by Governor Kelly Naru 

when he visited the area last December. 

“The other 90 per cent will be paid in installments when funds become available,” he said. 

LLG president Andrew Gena said locals had cleared up land for the road using “hand tools”.

“The stretch is about 25 kilometers,” Gena said.

“About 11 kilometres was constructed by the locals themselves. However, the road did not reach the Leron River. 

“The remaining 10 kilometres will be built by the contractor. 

“We will seek funds from elsewhere to construct the bridge.

“It is a big job.”

He said people normally walked for about eight hours to reach Wantoat station and catch public transport to Lae. “It takes a full day to come to Lae,” Gena said.

“And they pay K30 one way,” he added. 

“The distance from Wantoat Station to Leron along the Highlands Highway is about another 66 kilometers.”

Gena said the new road should make things easier for the people to transport their coffee  and garden produce to Lae. 

“Three aid posts, a primary school and a number of elementary schools will benefit from this road,” Gena said. 

Chris Philemon, the managing director of  the Umi Yet Construction, said work would start on Friday. 

“Once we set up came there, we will move our machines and began clearing up the road,” Philemon said.