MARCH 19 2022
Prime Minister Hon. James Marape has announced the awarding of a K159 million contract for the Ramu Highway in Madang and K43 million to extend the North Coast Road from Bogia to Awar.
He made the announcement in front of hundreds of people at Walium Station, Usino-Bundi, on Thursday (March 17 2022) when presenting K5 million to Madang Governor Hon. Peter Yama for construction of the Banu-Bundi Road that will eventually link up to Gembogl in Chimbu.
The Ramu Highway is among K1.4 billion of new road contracts throughout Papua New Guinea, and add to those already in place under the Marape Government’s signature ‘Connect PNG’ programme for which about K1 billion has been expended over the last two years on roads throughout the country.
The Prime Minister announced the awarding of contracts of:
• K159 million for the Ramu-Madang stretch of the Ramu Highway in Madang;
• K147.5 million for the first stretch of the Wewak-Vanimo Highway up to Aitape;
• K115.9 million for the Momote Airport-West Coast Road in Manus;
• K164 million for upgrade of Imulima Bridge-Moreguina stretch of Magi Highway in Central, to eventually link up with Milne Bay;
• K70 million for Bautauma-Imulima Bridge section of Magi Highway in Central;
• K138.5 million for New Britain Highway from Kimbe in West New Britain to Kokopo in East New Britain;
• K400 million for Yalu Bridge-Nadzab Four-Lane Highway in Markham Valley of Morobe;
• K50 million for sealing of Kiunga-Tabubil Highway in Western, which will ultimately lead on to remote Telefomin in West Sepik;
• K15 million for sealing of Daru Town roads;
• K66 million for Bulolo Highway resealing; and
• K80 million for sealing of Halimbu-Koroba Road in Hela;
These add up to K1.4 billion.
PM Marape stressed that Usino-Bundi and Madang had not been forgotten by his Government as he gave the K5 million to Governor Yama.
Usino-Bundi is one of Madang’s most-remote districts with basic government services not reaching the people, and road access a top priority for the three Local Level Government (LLG) areas of Usino, Bundi and Gama.
“In the next two to three years, we should be able to drive from here to Kundiawa,” PM Marape told an appreciative crowd at Walium.
“This is just part of the broader ‘Connect PNG’ programme in which we are building roads all over the country like never before.
“Today, a very remote place such as Telefomin on the border with West Papua, has just 30km to complete before being joined to Tabubil.
“This is just one example of roads we are building right across our country.”
PM Marape told the people of Usino-Bundi that they were very much part of the ‘Connect PNG’ network.
“The Bundi Road, for which we are here today, is a key missing link which we want to connect,” he said.
“Middle Ramu to Baiyer in Western Highlands is another missing link in Madang which the PNG Defence Force is currently working on.
“My people of Madang, you are not forgotten, as you are right in the middle of an entire network of roads across the whole country.”
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