Newly opened bridges on Su’u and Bira, Malaita province, vandalised within days. MID urge community leaders to lead

BY JUNELYN KELLY

Newly opened bridges in West Kwaio, Malaita province, have been vandalised just few days after being opened for public use, the Ministry of Infrastructure Development (MID) has reported.
Bridges on Su’u and Bira were declared complete by the Solomon Islands Roads and Aviation Project (SIRAP2) on Friday last week.
The Bira bridge completed on January 12, and the one in Su’u completed on Jan 17, SIRAP2 said.
Official handover was expected for a later date, awaiting completion of other bridges on Malaita under the SIRAP2 project in Kofele 1 and 2.
However, yesterday [Jan 26] MID announced that signposts for the Bira and Su’u bridges have been either removed, defaced or damaged.
MID condemned this, explaining that the signposts were important:
“Safety first. These signages are there to save lives by alerting drivers to what’s ahead.
“Massive investment. The government and development partners invested millions to upgrade these bridges for our benefit.
“Future impact. This kind of criminal behavior is a major setback. It sends a negative message and could jeopardize future infrastructure projects for Malaita Province,” MID said.
MID appealed to leaders in these two communities to talk to their people not to vandalise public amenities and facilities.
“Community leaders, please talk to your people about respecting these road assets. Report any vandalism or theft to Auki police.
“We must take pride in our infrastructure and protect these features.
“These bridges are part of the SIRAP2 project, a partnership between the World Bank and the government, and belong to the communities both West Kwaio and Are’are. Let’s keep them safe and intact for road users,” MID said.