Road improvements for Irian Jaya

JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya: The Ministry of Public Works has allocated Rp 3.6 billion to improve the road leading to the border between the Indonesian province of Irian Jaya and neighboring Papua New Guinea.

"The funds come from the Presidential Instruction on Provincial Road Improvement," the head of the local public works office, Haryadi, said here on Wednesday.

The road to the border has been asphalted but is still so narrow it is often congested with traffic, Antara reported.

Haryadi said his office was also designing a sturdier bridge for the Tami River to replace the old bridge, which is constructed from wooden boards and iron poles.