How road rehabilitation is transforming lives
25 Jul 2025
Hundreds of cocoa farmers in remote parts of Papua New Guinea are beginning to experience the promise of better road access, thanks to ongoing infrastructure projects under PNG Agriculture Commercialization and Diversification Project (PACD), funded by the World Bank and the PNG Government.
,br> Three vital agricultural feeder roads—Kulungere Road, Vunapalading–Burit Road, and Teobhuin Road—are currently under rehabilitation across East New Britain and Bougainville, with completion targeted by the end of 2025. Coordinating this road project success is Component 2 Agriculture Feeder Road Coordinator Raymond Paulias. The projects are aimed at enhancing rural livelihoods by improving access to markets, boosting agricultural output, and reducing transportation challenges for farmers.
Breaking New Ground in Sinivit
In Sinivit LLG, Pomio District, construction is well underway on the 4-kilometre Kulungere Road. Originally awarded K4.9 million, the contract value has since risen to K5.6 million due to procurement delays. Despite the increase, the work has reached 35% completion as of June 2025, with significant progress made on road clearance, culvert installation, and drainage works.
“This area has always been a high-performing cocoa area,” noted Raymond Paulias the Market Access Coordinator and Senior Engineer. “Opening this road will not only benefit cocoa production but reduce transport and vehicle costs and improve access to health and education services.”
The road, which is scheduled for completion by December 31, 2025, is also addressing a major local challenge: seasonal flooding from the Warangoi River that has devastated cocoa blocks. River training efforts are being implemented alongside the road construction to protect farmlands and restore natural waterways. Local youth are being employed under the contractor, ensuring that the community benefits from the project both in the short and long term.
Vunapalading–Burit Road Gains Momentum
Further north in East New Britain, the 3.2-kilometre Vunapalading–Burit Road is also progressing steadily. Undertaken by Chinese contractor Covec PNG at a cost of K4.1 million, the project began in April 2025 and is expected to wrap up by December. There is potential for the road to be extended to 3.5 km based on field assessments.
Community participation has been central to the project’s success. Most of the labor has been sourced locally, and PACD is training residents to carry out routine maintenance post-completion. The improved road is expected to help farmers increase their cocoa yields by easing transportation barriers and lowering costs associated with bringing produce to market. “With upgraded roads, we’re already seeing farmers reinvesting in their cocoa blocks and building better homes,” said Mr Paulias.
A Long-Awaited Upgrade in Bougainville
Meanwhile, in Buin District of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, rehabilitation of the nearly 6-kilometre Teobhuin Road is well on track. Built in the 1950s, the road had fallen into disrepair—until PACD stepped in with a 12-month contract commencing in November 2024.
As of mid-2025, the road base is close to completion and work on river crossings is about to begin. No major setbacks have been reported, and stakeholders hope the project will be delivered as a “gift of independence” to the community before the year’s end. “Many farmers here have struggled for decades to transport their produce,” Mr Paulias. “Once this road is done, it will feel like the rest of PNG is finally within reach.”
Building Beyond Roads
Each of these projects’ forms part of PACD’s broader mission: to strengthen the links between agriculture and infrastructure in PNG. Farmers are being trained not just to produce but to sustain. Road maintenance programs are underway, and communities are encouraged to plant new cocoa trees, adopt best farming practices, and take ownership of their local assets.
Market Access Coordinator Mr. Paulias highlighted the bigger picture: “We’re not just building roads—we’re opening economies. When farmers can reach markets, everyone benefits. Agriculture will thrive only if we link it to infrastructure.” With completion deadlines fast approaching, all eyes are on the final stages of implementation. But for the rural farmers already seeing the benefits, these roads are more than construction zones—they're pathways to prosperity.
,br> Three vital agricultural feeder roads—Kulungere Road, Vunapalading–Burit Road, and Teobhuin Road—are currently under rehabilitation across East New Britain and Bougainville, with completion targeted by the end of 2025. Coordinating this road project success is Component 2 Agriculture Feeder Road Coordinator Raymond Paulias. The projects are aimed at enhancing rural livelihoods by improving access to markets, boosting agricultural output, and reducing transportation challenges for farmers.
Breaking New Ground in Sinivit
In Sinivit LLG, Pomio District, construction is well underway on the 4-kilometre Kulungere Road. Originally awarded K4.9 million, the contract value has since risen to K5.6 million due to procurement delays. Despite the increase, the work has reached 35% completion as of June 2025, with significant progress made on road clearance, culvert installation, and drainage works.
“This area has always been a high-performing cocoa area,” noted Raymond Paulias the Market Access Coordinator and Senior Engineer. “Opening this road will not only benefit cocoa production but reduce transport and vehicle costs and improve access to health and education services.”
The road, which is scheduled for completion by December 31, 2025, is also addressing a major local challenge: seasonal flooding from the Warangoi River that has devastated cocoa blocks. River training efforts are being implemented alongside the road construction to protect farmlands and restore natural waterways. Local youth are being employed under the contractor, ensuring that the community benefits from the project both in the short and long term.
Vunapalading–Burit Road Gains Momentum
Further north in East New Britain, the 3.2-kilometre Vunapalading–Burit Road is also progressing steadily. Undertaken by Chinese contractor Covec PNG at a cost of K4.1 million, the project began in April 2025 and is expected to wrap up by December. There is potential for the road to be extended to 3.5 km based on field assessments.
Community participation has been central to the project’s success. Most of the labor has been sourced locally, and PACD is training residents to carry out routine maintenance post-completion. The improved road is expected to help farmers increase their cocoa yields by easing transportation barriers and lowering costs associated with bringing produce to market. “With upgraded roads, we’re already seeing farmers reinvesting in their cocoa blocks and building better homes,” said Mr Paulias.
A Long-Awaited Upgrade in Bougainville
Meanwhile, in Buin District of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, rehabilitation of the nearly 6-kilometre Teobhuin Road is well on track. Built in the 1950s, the road had fallen into disrepair—until PACD stepped in with a 12-month contract commencing in November 2024.
As of mid-2025, the road base is close to completion and work on river crossings is about to begin. No major setbacks have been reported, and stakeholders hope the project will be delivered as a “gift of independence” to the community before the year’s end. “Many farmers here have struggled for decades to transport their produce,” Mr Paulias. “Once this road is done, it will feel like the rest of PNG is finally within reach.”
Building Beyond Roads
Each of these projects’ forms part of PACD’s broader mission: to strengthen the links between agriculture and infrastructure in PNG. Farmers are being trained not just to produce but to sustain. Road maintenance programs are underway, and communities are encouraged to plant new cocoa trees, adopt best farming practices, and take ownership of their local assets.
Market Access Coordinator Mr. Paulias highlighted the bigger picture: “We’re not just building roads—we’re opening economies. When farmers can reach markets, everyone benefits. Agriculture will thrive only if we link it to infrastructure.” With completion deadlines fast approaching, all eyes are on the final stages of implementation. But for the rural farmers already seeing the benefits, these roads are more than construction zones—they're pathways to prosperity.
