Malala’s Numuru bridge reconstruction

Reconstruction work on the severed Numuru Bridge in Malala on the Madang/ Bogia Highway will take at least five days to complete.

Works Manager in Madang, Job Kull said a new bailey bridge has been brought in from Lae and will be moved to site to be assembled and launched.

The old bridge has been cleared and demolished.

The 32-meter single lane bailey bridge collapsed last Friday morning under an overloaded tipper truck that was heading towards Bogia with gravel for road maintenance.

On Thursday, Secretary for the Department of Works and Highways, Gibson Holemba, and Deputy Secretary Simon Suwagu visited Numuru to see the progress of work.

Mr Holemba also appealed to the local people to respect workmen who are on site.

Governor Pariwa accompanied Secretary Holemba to Numuru to get views from local villagers regarding an access road for vehicles to use following the collapsed of the bridge.

The local people are worried about their food gardens and cash crops, hence; have not made any decision yet on whether to allow the bypass to be constructed or not.

They have also stopped any passage of vehicles, even through the beach front, which was previously allowed.

All vehicle movements between Madang and Bogia have been temporarily halted.

Mr Kull said the new bridge should be installed before next weekend if there are no further delays.