$8.3M project underway to mitigate flooding at Haiowa

– initiative is 90 per cent complete

Approximately 280 residents of Haiowa Village and nearby communities in Region Nine are benefiting from the installation of drainage structures by the Ministry of Public Works to mitigate flooding.

Minister Hon. Bishop Juan Edghill on Friday visited the worksite where culverts and other structures were installed through an $8.3 million contract that was awarded to D&R Construction and Machinery Rental.

The project, which is 90 per cent complete, aims to buttress the communities during the wet and dry season through supplemental drainage.

Speaking with DPI, Minister Edghill said the initiative is part of the Government’s strategy to strengthen access to communities.

“Overall, what we have to manage in the Region is ensuring that the bridges are adequately maintained. We have measures in place to deal with the high-water season.  

We have to keep the road in a very good condition to reduce travel time and to make sure that commuters could get to their destinations safely and overall, we have to improve the infrastructure,” he said.

The Ministry has six roll-over projects from 2020 and five new proposed projects for Region Nine this year.

While the new projects entail emergency repairs to Surama and Yupukari bridges, the rehabilitation of Pirara Bridge (Phase II), the upgrade of the thoroughfare from Karasabi to Yarong Paru and the internal roads of Lethem are also on the cards.

Minister Edghill had travelled to the Region to commission the $185 million extended runway at the Lethem aerodrome.

Under the Ministry’s work plan for 2021, $2.1 billion has been approved by the National Assembly to advance the hinterland road programme. Additionally, $1.9 billion has been set aside for the construction of bridges countrywide.