K1m emergency allocation to fix Matugar Highway seafront

The Madang Provincial Executive Council [PEC] has approved K1 million in emergency funding to address the severe coastal erosion threatening the Matugar section along the Madang-Bogia Highway.

The critical stretch of road has suffered progressive degradation due to rising sea levels and relentless wave action, leaving half the carriageway washed away and posing serious risks to commuters.

Madang Governor Ramsey Pariwa confirmed the emergency allocation, emphasizing that part of the highway has already succumbed to shoreline erosion.

"It is now up to the Madang Provincial Administration and the Provincial Procurement Committee to fast-track the procurement process so funds can be released quickly for work to begin on saving the shoreline," Pariwa said.

The seafront underwent temporary remedial maintenance in 2024, but those structures were subsequently washed away, leaving the section exposed to continuous decay.

Pariwa stressed that constructing a durable permanent seawall is essential to secure the road infrastructure long-term.

Given that the affected section forms part of a major national highway, the Governor has also called on the Department of Works and Highways to intervene and provide national support.