THE Boluminski Highway, a significant transportation route in New Ireland province which starts at the Kavieng Court House junction and terminates at Porpop (337km) in the Matalai LLG of Namatanai district as designated national road will now be extended.
The National Government through the Department of Works and Highways has declared the provincial road from Porpop linking Muliama, Metlik, Mimias, Semalu, Kait, Kamdaru and Palabong back to Borokalai on the south west coast of Namatanai to be a national road.
New Ireland Governor Walter D Schnaubelt revealed this exciting news while witnessing the launch of the road maintenance and upgrade of Porpop to Muliama at Porpop village on the eve of the country’s 50th Independence Anniversary celebrations.
Speaking during the launch, Governor Schnaubelt said: “The change from provincial road to national road status means a lot. It means the national government will now take full responsibility together with the provincial government to co-fund the maintenance and upgrade of the road.”
He thanked the Provincial Works Manager Colleen Dickson, Minister for Works and Highways Solan Mirisin and Secretary Gibson Holemba for their unwavering support to New Ireland in granting the national road status of the Porpop to Burukalai road.
Governor Schnaubelt also called on the Provincial Works Manager Dickson to organize engineers and technical service personnel to conduct proper engineering survey to ascertain the amount of work to be done and cost involved to build the ring road in New Ireland.
“We’ve been talking about this ring road long enough in the past. Leader after leader have come and gone, nothing has been done. As long as Im your leader and governor, no doubt we will continue to construct the ring road for you,” Schnaubelt vowed.
A local contractor Mumusu Holdings Limited (MHL) is currently on site doing the road maintenance and upgrade work for Porpop to Muliama.
The maintenance work is funded by the New Ireland Provincial Government (NIPG) at a total cost of K9 million (estimated budget).
Plans are currently underway to have other local contractors placed on the west coast of Konoagil LLG for a similar job to link up with the east.
Governor Schnaubelt would like to see a proper ring road connecting west Konoagil with east before 2027.
In other road projects, a contract is expected to be signed soon for the upgrade and sealing of Tubuana to Kabanut on the west coast of Namatanai as well as road maintenance of Kabanut to Palabong.
Also, a contract is expected to be awarded for the sealing of unsealed section of Boluminski Highway from Rativis to Lipek at the cost of K30 million (estimated budget) funded under the Transport Sector Support Program (TSSP).
Meanwhile, the upgrade and sealing of Burukalai to Kokola road on the west coast of Namatanai and the Kulangit to Omo roads in Kavieng are progress as planned.