BY SAMIE WAIKORI
Auki
MALAITA provincial government has assured of proper road maintenance for the province.
In an interview, Provincial Secretary (PS) of Malaita Province Mr Jackson Gege made the statement, saying the province is currently pursuing the initiative.
He said work on roads have now started on the south-road, which will later move to other roads in the province.
Mr Gege said since road users have complained on the past road construction, the province is now looking at a more integrated road construction.
“Roads will not construct using the similar construction approach as what experienced in the past.
“Like in the past, roads were constructed under community base projects using manual tools like spade, wheelbarrows and etc.
“Now roads in the province will be constructed using machineries looking at a more integrated roads,” he said.
Gege said towards late last month construction started on the south road where road now on the process of grading and later to put on gravel.
He also said that the current construction of roads is in preparation towards permanent road construction province is working on with donor partner.
This approach does not change the equations, the only difference from the former was the tool, the sate of quality does not rely much on tool, but the materials. The only difference is the rate of output but the quality is another thing that completely separated and remind to be solved by contractors. Getting quality materials onto our roads is far more expensive process, than getting those very cheap coronous mix gravels that commonly used in most of the roads in Malaita. it is a low quality materials that does not have good shearing strength, when it is dry it produce very cloudy dusty particles and when it is wet it is easy to loss traction and vulnerable to skid phenomena. You need a good standard update calibrate laboratory to produce good materials that makes our roads to stay longer and less maintenance.