The PNG Government has sent a team to assess to extent of damage in the highlands.

Thousands of people are battling the aftermath of landslides and flooding which hit PNG's highlands during the weekend.

The landslides crushed houses and farms, leaving more than 2,000 people displaced.

Local member Joe Mek Teine has told Radio Australia's Pacific Beat program the Government should respond immediately and declare a state of emergency and restore traffic and services.

"I've requested the national Government and the Minister for Transport and the Office of National Disasters to immediately send people out, make an assessment," he said.

"I've requested that a state of emergency be declared for the island's highway - that will ensure that Government can move in and in the shortest possible time, they can ensure that the highway's back to normal."

Up to five kilometres of the country's main road linking the highland's to the port city, Lae, has been damaged, causing long traffic delays across the region.

The damage and traffic jams are hampering trucking companies and mining operations while authorities attempt to repair broken power lines.

It could be three weeks before the road is repaired.

PNG's Transport Minister, Don Polye, has told Pacific Beat the damaged section of highway could be re-routed until the problem is fixed.

"The road is completely impassable so it's really a big problem and I want immediate expert advice on it," he said.

"I want to send machines in to clear to road immediately or wait for the instability to stop and then start some work on it."