The Asian Development Bank is loaning Papua New Guinea 90 million US dollars to rehabilitate or replace up to 30 bridges on five national roads.
The ADB's Pacific department project leader, Hasan Masood, says the improvements will help people and goods move from place to place more quickly, at a lower cost and with fewer concerns about poor weather conditions.
The bank says that the government has recognized that the lack of transport infrastructure is a major obstacle to economic and social development.
The project will also finance road safety campaigns in rural areas along the five priority roads.
Road safety is a major issue in PNG with higher fatality rates in rural areas, mostly involving pedestrians.
