By WASITA ROYAL
THE destruction of the Upper Toriu Bridge by Tropical Cyclone Maila has severed the main road link between East and West New Britain provinces, pushing the rural communities of Inland Baining into a serious isolation crisis.
What was once an important piece of the New Britain Highway is now a mess of bent iron and broken cement, stranding thousands from schools, clinics, and markets.
The bridge collapsed on 9 April amid continuous heavy rain and flooding caused by the cyclone. Located at the border of Alakasam and Malasaet wards, the 100-meter structure was overpowered when floodwaters expanded the river banks far beyond their original size.
Ward Member Karl Kaning described the human toll: teachers cannot ferry families or cargo across; schools have not started and have been shut for one month and three weeks; children remain at home. “My people are crying,” he said, requesting at least a vehicle to ease some of their burdens.
Currently, residents and vehicles resort to dangerous wet crossing; driving and wading through the swollen river to reach towns, clinics, and markets. Walking from Alakasam to Malasaet just to board a vehicle takes nearly two hours.
The original bridge, built in 2013 by KK Connection Limited, was funded by the PNG Sustainable Development Program and the PNG Forest Authority through contractor export levies. Now, Kaning says rebuilding will require a 300-meter span triple the original length to accommodate the permanently widened waterway.
Without immediate intervention, the collapse of Upper Toriu Bridge threatens to reverse years of rural development.