Government Condemns Repeated Damage to New Road Infrastructure in Honiara and Guadalcanal, Vows to Hold Responsible Parties Accountable

The government, through the Ministry of Infrastructure Development (MID), strongly condemned the ongoing damage to newly completed road infrastructure in Honiara and Guadalcanal Province, despite repeated calls for companies, private contractors and developers to exercise extreme caution when accessing or crossing the upgraded road network.

The latest incident occurred this week in the Henderson area, where an excavator was being transferred from the Elite Co. compound to the adjacent Moiba Co. compound. During the transfer, the excavator scrapes off the road shoulders, damaging approximately 15 metres of the edge and the fog line marking.

An assessment found localised surface fractures of approximately 6 mm to 10 mm deep, with broken coarse aggregate and minimal exposure of the underlying asphalt layer. A further inspection identified an older section of similar damage, approximately 7 metres long, in front of the Elite Co. compound.

It will affect the pavement’s durability by allowing water infiltration, accelerating deterioration well before the end of the road’s expected lifespan.

Acting Permanent Secretary of MID, Mr Mike Qaqara, said we cannot tolerate these avoidable damages anymore.

“Those responsible will pay for their ignorance, which is to meet the cost of repairs, and face appropriate penalties in accordance with applicable provisions under the Roads Act.

“We have repeatedly called on heavy machinery operators to respect and protect the newly completed road infrastructure. It is disappointing that we continue to see damages that should have been avoided by making sound judgements and best practices during machinery movement and construction,’ Mr Qaqara said.

He adds, “The Land and Maritime Connectivity Project (LMCP) is a significant investment with the ultimate goal of improving and modernising our national road network; thus, protecting public infrastructure is a shared responsibility.

This highway network from Henderson Court to Mberande (31.7 km) is the first road component of this project by the Government of Solomon Islands, with support from the Asian Development Bank.

The ministry, along with the project support team, is again sending a clear message to construction groups, developers, utility operators and heavy machinery operators and owners to adopt appropriate protective measures when moving tracked equipment on asphalt roads, including the use of suitable loading and unloading platforms, protective mats, and other safeguards to prevent damage to public assets.

A similar incident occurred two months ago along the Tandai Highway under this same project (LMCP), whereby a careless offloading by an excavator has caused chain-mark impressions and fractures on the new asphalt section, damaging the surface and exposing underlying layers that will weaken the pavement, increase water infiltration, and lead to future defects like cracking, deformation, and potholes.
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This damage section will affect the pavement’s durability by allowing water infiltration, accelerating deterioration well before the end of the road’s expected lifespan.

An assessment found localised surface fractures of approximately 6 mm to 10 mm deep, with broken coarse aggregate and minimal exposure of the underlying asphalt layer.

It is disappointing that the ministry and project support teams continue to see damages that should have been avoided by making sound judgement and best practices during machinery movement and construction.