BY NED GAGAHE

Road maintenance works along the Busurata Road in Central Kwara’ae, Malaita Province, are progressing well, with contractor Exodus Trade Development advancing regravelling and drainage improvements on the vital highlands route.

In a statement Ministry of Infrastructure Development (MID) said as of last week, the company had completed five kilometres of regravelling heading towards Ngadefiu Village.

Works are expected to reach the halfway point of the 15-kilometre stretch by next week.

The statement said for drainage improvements, steel components are currently being fabricated at the contractor’s Kunu site, while excavation of 500 metres of drainage channels is already underway.

Concrete pouring is scheduled to begin in the coming days to help improve water runoff in this high-rainfall region.

Managing Director of Exodus Trade Development, Jeremiah Fo’onota, acknowledged the cooperation of local landowners, which has enabled easier access to gravel sites. He confirmed that the crew remains on schedule and plans to continue progressing towards the Okwala area.

Busurata Road runs through one of Malaita’s key agricultural zones in the highlands of Kwara’ae, serving farmers, market vendors and surrounding communities.

The project is funded by the Australian Government through the National Transport Fund (NTF) as part of ongoing efforts to improve market access, service delivery and safer travel for rural road users.

The Transport Infrastructure Management Services Division (TIMSD) within the Ministry of Infrastructure Development (MID) continues to supervise the works to ensure compliance with quality standards at all stages.

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