LET’S thank the New Zealand Government and its people.
The bailey bridge they’ve funded had been completed yesterday after a few weeks putting it together.
It will open for use today.
The completion of this temporary bridge is a huge boost to the flood recovery stage after the old bridge was destroyed in the April 3 flash flood.
Furthermore, the opening of the bridge will help ease the worsening daily traffic congestion brought about by the floods.
So we thank New Zealand for seeing the urgent need to put up the temporary structure while we wait for the permanent two-lane bridge Japan has offered to build.
With the increasing traffic population in Honiara, urgent replacement of the destroyed bridge could not be further stated.
New Zealand saw the urgency and raised its hand when the Solomon Islands government sought a replacement temporary bridge.
Today, this new facility will be open for use.
Road authorities say the bridge will only cater for vehicles leaving Chinatown. This means only vehicles leaving Chinatown and heading west into central Honiara will be allowed through.
So this is going to be a one-way bridge.
We don’t know why this is so, but we hope to get clarifications from our road authority in the next day or two.
Be that as it may, we have a completely new temporary bridge.
This is a gift from the people of New Zealand.
To show our appreciation, we must look after and care for it. That’s the least New Zealanders expect from us.
For this bailey bridge doesn’t come cheaply. It costs millions of dollars to build.
Let’s respect it, use it wisely, look after it, and embrace this new facility.
