Prime Minister Hon. James Marape this morning assured the nation that things are under control regarding the col- lapse of the critical Yalu bridge in Morobe Province.

Prime Minister Marape said the Minister for Works and Highways Hon. Solan Mirisim and his department team are working around the clock to have a temporary bridge built as soon as possible to avoid any major disruptions to road users

of Lae-Nadzab road which significantly connects the Highlands Highway, as well as Madang and other provinces along the way.

“The Yalu Bridge situation is under control at this present time, after being affected by extreme weather conditions over the last few months in the area. The bridge is a significant and critical infrastructure that connects Lae city with the Highlands region, by which transport of agricultural and other important goods are done on a daily basis, particularly for commercial purposes. It also joins Lae city to the Nadzab Airport for those travelling between places via airline services.

“The Works Minister and his team are working to ensure that despite the unfortunate situation with Yalu bridge, normalcy will be restored at the earliest for traffic to flow smoothly as always,” Prime Minister Marape stated.

Deputy Prime Minister and Lae MP Hon. John Rosso said regarding the Yalu bridge situation: “This situation has been caused by extreme weather patterns in the area over recent months. The Works Department is working on a temporary bridge to alleviate the situation as soon as possible. They are doing every thing they can. But it is under control and the road should be open again for motorists to use shortly.”

“We have actually been working on a new bridge over past months to replace the existing Yalu Bridge when this happened, due to unprecedented weather patterns. A new four-lane bridge has already been started and is in progress. The Works Minister is on it,” said DPM Rosso.