BY LORETTA BRIGIDIA MANELE
MATANIKO Eastbound Bridge has finally reached completion and officially opened yesterday.
Central Project Implementation Unit (CPIU) from the Ministry of Infrastructure Development (MID) with contractor, Kitano and World Kaihatsu Kogyo Co Ltd Joint Venture made the announcement in a public notice issued on November 12.
The general public as mentioned is advised to look after the bridge, use it with care and put safety first.
Previously a one lane bridge, this new two lane bridge will ease traffic congestion and allow vehicles to travel in both east and westward directions instead of having to queue on either end as one vehicle passes through before the next as experienced in the past.
Apart from being a facelift to Honiara, this new development will also benefit businesses in Chinatown and customers alike.
This bridge is the least of components completed in the Japanese funded SBD$200million Kukum Highway Upgrading Road Project which formally kicked off in 2016.
Other components that have already been completed under this project include; upgrade of the Kukum Highway from Honiara City Roundabout to the Ministry of Fisheries, countermeasure against traffic congestion around the Central Market, improvement of the Honiara City Council Roundabout and widening of the Mataniko 2-Lane Bridge.
