HEAVY duty or loaded vehicles may still be turned away from crossing the Mataniko bridge as Police continue to closely monitor vehicles crossing.
Acting Police Commissioner, Juanita Matanga said that restriction on loading heavy duty vehicles have been made aware to Police officers manning the bridge.
Those with a maximum load of up to 30 tonnes only will be allowed to cross from the east to the west (China Town heading to Point Cruz) end of the bridge, and those with a maximum of up to 16 tonnes only will be allowed to cross from west to east (Point Cruz heading to China Town).
Ms Matanga clarified that assessments made by engineers confirmed that those would be the maximum weights to cross the bridge, however all crossings would require no other vehicles to cross and closely under Police watch.
Asked why the maximum weight for one way is more than the other, Ms Matanga said that this is because minimal reconstruction has been carried out on one side of the bridge whilst the other has not yet.
“This is in accordance with advice from engineers assessing the bridge.
“Therefore vehicles with excessive weight more than those required will have to be turned back from where they had come from,” she said.
Ms Matanga meanwhile called on all drivers to obey police instructions and directions with regards to the usage of the sole bridge left in Honiara.
By JEREMY INIFIRI
