Deputy Prime Minister and Lae MP, John Rosso, has provided an update on the ongoing work at the Yalu Bridge. Rosso stated that the Department of Works & Highways, along with contractors, currently have four excavators on site working to divert the Yalu River back to its original course. "Once the river is redirected, we will begin backfilling on both the Lae and Nadzab sides of the bridge," Rosso explained on Saturday, August 24th in a social media post. He emphasized that the large quantity of materials required means the backfilling process will take some time. To ensure continued access, Rosso noted that the wet crossing downstream of the bridge will be maintained. "We will still maintain the wet crossing from time to time to allow light and emergency service vehicles to have access," he assured. "All focus on it to try to restart it. Yalu Bridge is on track," Rosso reassured the travelling public and locals of Morobe this morning, Sunday August 25th, to PNG HAUSBUNG and other local media in Port Moresby. "It's an unfortunate event caused by extreme weather." "The weather has eroded the side of the Yalu Bridge which is an old bridge." "While it has eroded, the massive floodwaters have now subsided." "They are doing a wet crossing which is accessible by four-wheel drive." "The Works Department finished last night at 10 o'clock," Rosso confirmed this morning. "They are working 24 hours to try to ensure that the temporary bridge bypass is open so that we can have heavy traffic for the Highlands Highway passing through." He also revealed that a few months ago, in anticipation of upgrading Infrastructure, construction had begun on a new bridge. "We have also, six months ago, have already begun construction of a new four-lane bridge that will replace the existing Yalu Bridge." "It is in progress, a new four-lane bridge. The pilings have been done already, and now they are still working on it." "The weather in Lae, as everyone knows, as rainy Lae, it always floods. And the unprecedented weather just causes catastrophe for the highway." "But the good Works Minister is on top of it and doing every effort with his staff to rectify the issue immediately," said Rosso. Prime Minister James Marape also confirmed this before leaving the country for his travel to Tonga this morning. "The bridge will have a permanent four-lane bridge that we work on." "A 90-metre four-lane bridge, or we've asked the contractor to ramp up the permanent bridge." "As part of the road from Lae to Nadzap that we are doing the four-lane, the permanent bridge will be ramped up also," said the Prime Minister.