Road chief: We need alternative technology

 NATIONAL Roads Authority chief executive Ponege Poya says the authority is seeking alternative technologies to help reduce costs of building roads and maintenance in the country.

Poya said they were embarking on new alternatives that would ensure roads would be more durable in order to reduce and save costs and at the same time build new roads at a more affordable price.

“Part of the National Road Authority’s objective is to look and trial alternative methods for roadwork, especially in building and maintaining good quality roads. 

“In terms of cost, sustainability and as well as cost per kilometre and scope involved in roadworks for the country. 

“Therefore, we have engaged a dealer of quality roadworks machinery, Wirtgen Recycling Machinery, to conduct trials on given kilometres of road at Laloki Road, outside Port Moresby. 

Eastpac Ltd has been engaged to showcase the work they could do with the equipment used by many other developed countries around the world and they were on a trial basis.

Poya said the assessment of Eastpac Ltd will be used to compare with other road projects in the country and further trials will be done with analysis in other centres of the country as well.

Managing director of Eastpac Mevin Gwee said after assessment of the trials they were doing at present, other road construction companies in the country could purchase the technology and help with quality road maintenance. 

“We are not here to compete with other road construction companies in the country,” he said.

“We are here to provide to them a quality alternative of technology that can be applied to the work they are doing at the moment.”

David Dao, a civil engineer, and general manager of Double-Trans Ltd based in Singapore, has had 22 years experience using the hot mix asphalt technology and Wirtgen Recycling Machinery. 

He emphasised the need for the technology to be introduced in the country.