Roads, bridges prone to ‘climate effects’

WORKS Secretary David Wereh says roads, bridges and buildings are prone to the impacts of climate change and extreme weather conditions.
Wereh is also responsible for regulating building standards.
He said engineering designs and technology responsible for building climate-resilient infrastructure are seriously being considered by the Works Department, especially on new road and bridge projects being planned.
“We have lost metres of our roads over the past two to three years with the number of bridges that have been completely affected by extreme weather and also the number of culverts washed away,” Wereh said.
He said there was a huge build-up of work which needed to be done, on top of the temporarily restoration works the department should do.
“That’s why, as the agency responsible for standards, we are already looking at incorporating our design standards into weather-resilient infrastructures, especially when it comes to building roads, bridges and culverts.
“We need to design infrastructures to withstand extreme weather patterns. The Works Department has already taken this approach.”