Papua New Guinea's acting Deputy Police Commissioner, Jim Andrews, has flown to Goroka in a bid to have the Highlands Highway re-opened.
The Barola section of the Highway in Eastern Highlands has been blocked by villagers for the past 3 days after a tribal member was killed.
Police say vehicles passing through the blockade are having to make a payment and commuters are being harassed and threatened.
The blockade is affecting the flow of business and government operations between Lae, Madang and the Highlands.
The local people have blamed Western Highlanders for the man's death.
