When PNG becomes 50 years old in 2025, the Marape/Basil government hopes to complete its Connect PNG Road Program, which will connect the country's missing links.
David Wereh, the Works Secretary, and his staff are currently working to connect all of the highways in the Northern and Highlands areas.
He said the Department of Works and Implementation is carrying out the program, which includes the engineering and construction of key missing links such as the Mamose coastal highway, Ramu highway, Highlands Highway, Wau highway, Hiritano Highway, and Magi Highway, as well as the improvement of existing highways such as the Mamose coastal highway, Ramu highway, Highlands Highway, Wau highway, Hiritano Highway, and Magi Highway.
“We hope our target for linking PNG through the road sector is realised before PNG celebrates its 50th Independence anniversary,” Wereh said.
“Port Moresby will be linked to Northern and Highlands regions from Lae to, Goroka, Madang, Mt Hagen and Alotau.”
PNG should have a single undivided road network on the mainland by 2030, as well as a single-road corridor in the island provinces of Manus, New Ireland, East and West New Britain, and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (AROB), according to him.
“Phase one will start with a road link between Port Moresby and the main urban centres including Lae, Goroka, Madang, Mt Hagen and Mendi.”
The first phase, which focuses on the country's most critical core roads, is ongoing.
Among the most recent significant Phase 1 accomplishments were:
- Wau-Bulolo road maintenance from 9-Mile Junction to Wau, K65m;
- Maintenance and improvement of Mendi-Tambul road in Southern and Western Highlands provinces (55.53km) Kl72.1m;
- Upgrade and rehabilitation of Kundiawa-Gembogl-Bundi highway in Chimbu Province, (20.4km) Kl13.9m;
- Sealing and upgrade of the East Cape road in Milne Bay (52km), K96.5m;
- Upgrade and rehabilitation of Pangia-Wiru loop road in Southern Highlands (31.14km) K86.0m;
- Upgrade and rehabilitation of Henganofi-Nupuru road in the Eastern Highlands (34.0km), K85.2M
- Construction of 12 bridges on the New Britain Highway
- Hiritano Highway rehabilitation and long-term maintenance (125km), K77.56m.
Connect PNG Phase 2 (2027-2034) would see an additional 300 kilometres of provincial and district highways improved and maintained across the 21 provinces.
The project from stages one and two will be completed in phase three, and the construction of the Gulf-Madang corridor through Chimbu will begin.
This will improve connections between major urban, commercial, industrial, and transportation centres in the Highlands and Mamose regions, as well as Port Moresby in the Southern region, and connect regional areas with significant economic development potential, particularly in the agriculture, fisheries, and tourism sectors, to the national land transport network.
“In this regard, strategic national and sub-national land linkages are planned for development over the next 20 years under the Government’s Connect PNG Economic Roads Development program (Connect PNG 2020-2040), which will reduce transportation costs and promote economic development at the cost of K20 billion,” Wereh said.
The ADB (SHHIP) will be improved for K3 billion from Nadzab Airport junction to Kagamuga Airport junction, a distance of 340 kilometres.
The SHHIP initiative is being developed on three different portions of the Highlands Highway, which runs through the provinces of Morobe, EHP, Simbu, Jiwaka, and Western Highlands.
The first section under the SHHIP: Maintenance, upgrading, and rehabilitation from Nadzab to Henganofi (210km), K264.1m;
The second section under SHHIP: Maintenance, upgrading, and rehabilitation from Henganofi to Mangiro and Miunde to Kagamuga (218km) K203.26m;
The third section under SHHIP: Reconstruction from Mangiro to Miunde in Chimbu (57km) K341.3m; High impact projects under the DoW high impact office saw two major infrastructure investments to Lae and Mt Hagen;
Upgrade to Mt Hagen four-lane road from Keltiga to Kagamuga in Western Highlands (13.76km), K306.31m;
Completed Lae four-lane of the Highlands Highway section from Lae to 9-Mile junction; and, 9-Mile to Yalu bridge in Morobe Province (9.3 km) K134.84m.
Reference: Kenneth, Gorethy. Post-Courier (25 August 2021). “Connect PNG Road Plan 2020-2040”.
