Magi Highway Missing Link Opens to Connect Central Province to the Nation’s Capital

Photograph: Tavanei Log Bridge, along the Magi Highway of the Central Province

The people of Magarida in the Amazon Bay of Central Province can now travel safely to the Nation’s Capital. This follows the completion of the construction of two temporary bridges across the Tavanei and Bonua Rivers.

The Department of Works & Highways (DoWH), through a signed Memorandum of Agreement with the National Forest Authority, engaged the services of AFL, a logging operator in the area, to construct the two bridges.

In the DoWH National Roads Inventory, the Magi Highway originates at 6-Mile in Port Moresby, National Capital District, and ends at East Cape in Milne Bay Province. In its current register, the Magi Highway terminates at Moreguina Junction (Central Province) and resumes at Gadaisu (Milne Bay Province). Under the Connect PNG Program, the 240 km gap is now being developed.

Earlier in June this year, the first vehicles from the department travelled from Alotau all the way to Port Moresby, marking the completion of the pilot track connecting the two provinces.

The Minister for Works & Highways, Hon. Solan Mirisim, accompanied by Secretary Mr. Gibson Holemba and his team, drove all the way to East Cape from the Capital City. The purpose of the trip was to assess the condition of the road link before taking the Prime Minister across the Eastern Seaboard.

The Connect PNG Ceremonial Drive, a lead-up activity towards the Nation’s Golden Jubilee, started in Port Moresby on Friday, 29 August 2025. The Prime Minister, Hon. James Marape, and his delegates were airlifted by helicopter to Kupiano, the headquarters of Abau District. The drive commenced at Iopara Primary School, where the PM and his delegates disembarked, and ended at East Cape Primary School.

Overnighting at Bam Logging Camp in the Cloudy Bay area, the team set out on Saturday morning after church service at 11:00 am, reaching Alotau just before sunset. The official opening ceremony of the Magi Highway Missing Link took place at East Cape, the easternmost tip of mainland Papua New Guinea, on Sunday, 31 August 2025.

This is a significant milestone in the history of the country. On the eve of our 50th Independence Anniversary, we have connected yet another province to the Nation’s Capital. This connection means that communities previously cut off at the border of the two provinces can now travel by road to reach service centres. We can already foresee the massive socio-economic impacts this road connectivity will bring.

Previously, the people of Amazon Bay travelled by road to Kupiano or Kapari, then completed their journey home on banana boats. This was not only risky, but also more costly than road transport. The opening of the Magi Highway Missing Link is truly a life-changer for them.

We are connecting PNG now to build our future.