Chan urges government to fix Buluminsky Highway

Commuters along the Buluminsky Highway.

NAMATANAI MP Byron Chan has renewed calls for the National Government and Transport Minister Don Polye to fix the deteriorating state of the Buluminsky Highway.

He noted the minister together with the Department of Works and Transport has failed miserably in maintaining and upgrading the Buluminsky Highway.

“The roads and several bridges are close to a state of ‘no return’. Two main bridges, Punam and Moronai are incomplete after seven months thus causing commuters much of a hurdle.”

MP Chan said the New Ireland Provincial Government already spent K1.6 million trying to repair the two bridges through the Works Department but this has failed through lack of Management and incompetency by Works supervisors.

He also said that the state of road conditions to the end of Buluminsky at Porpop Bridge must be quickly maintained adding that a lot of potholes and several sections of the highway through the villages are becoming almost impassable.

“The sealing of the Buluminsky Highway has also been delayed through incompetent management by the Works Department, causing inconveniences for commuters. The sealing of Bopire to Pinatgin section of the Buluminsky was supposed to have started already, yet due to incompetent management of the projects, work has not commenced as yet,” the member said.