Welcome relief for Lae residents

 LAE residents and the business community should breathe a sigh of relief now that the long-awaited upgrading of the city’s main roads will begin.

Yesterday’s signing of four contracts worth K227 million by the State and three contractors signals the start of the road projects in country’s industrial hub.

Indeed, it has been a long and winding road in getting the Lae road works back on the right track.

The alleged scam involving previous contractors and their shoddy road works is now a thing of the past as the Works Department spearheads the proper rehabilitation of the city’s thoroughfare.

Since the department took control of the Lae roads rehabilitation programme last year, Works Minister Francis Awesa and Works Secretary David Wereh have been under intense pressure to deliver a new-look plan that would avoid the pitfalls of the past. 

The Lae roads debacle has been a testing time for Awesa, with Morobe Governor Kelly Naru engaging in a war of words with the works minister over missing funds and the failed road works. 

Not to be derailed by Naru’s harsh criticism, Awesa is determined to fix the mess in Lae and build better roads for the industrial city.

The 2014 Budget was more than generous to the Works Department, which received the largest allocation – a massive K2.7 billion – for the infrastructure sector, which includes the Lae road rehabilitation programme.

The minister’s persistence paid off yesterday with the signing ceremony at Government House being the icing on the cake. 

Awesa witnessed the contracts being signed by acting Governor-General Ano Pala and Wereh on behalf of the State and executives of the three contractors – Shorncliffe Ltd, East West No. 1 Ltd and Dekenai Construction Ltd. Two of the contracts were awarded to Lae-based Shorncliffe.

The four contracts are:

l Pavement rehabilitation and concrete surfacing of Milfordhaven Road to Bumbu Police Barracks and Butibam Road from China Town roundabout to Markham Road Junction – K24,512,582.95 (awarded to Shorncliffe Ltd);

l pavement rehabilitation and concrete surfacing  of Boundary Road to Buimo Road, Cassowary Road, Malaita Street and Jawani Street – K73,770,589.20 (awarded to Shorncliffe Ltd;

l pavement rehabilitation and concrete surfacing of Telikom Road, Igam Barracks, Orion Road and Rigel Road – K67,260,743.79 (awarded to East West No. 1 Ltd), and,

l Pavement rehabilitation and concrete surfacing of Busu Road from Malahang IFC Gate to Bumayong Market – K61,624,084.29 (awarded to Dekenai Construction).

Awesa wasted no time telling the three companies to begin work immediately. 

As well, he expects the contractors to abide by the terms and conditions of their contracts.  “I would like critics to know that money for these roads was there all the time and not stolen or diverted elsewhere as certain people have claimed,” he said. 

“When the road constructions get under way, the people of Morobe and Papua New Guinea will experience a hive of activities never experienced before,” he told the news media yesterday.

Wereh, in supporting his minister’s statement, said Lae would now have a total of 37 kilometres of roads, which had been completed, and were being worked on, from the total 45-kms of roads in city. 

The remaining kilometres of roads will be completed next year with another funding of K100 million.

“By 2017 the entire Lae City roads will be covered with concrete pavement.”

This is indeed welcome news for the people of Lae City and Morobe, especially the business community.

They have had to live with Lae’s reputation of “pothole city” for years. 

But their prayers have finally been answered by the O’Neill Government through its passionate Works Minister Awesa and his hardworking Secretary Wereh.

The road projects are expected to be completed within the next two years and will completely change the face of Lae City. 

With an improved and high quality road network that will cater for the city’s booming economy, Lae will advance beyond expectations.

In fact, yesterday was the dawn of a new era in the development of the country’s industrial hub.