A significant traffic jam occurred in Nausori, Fiji, on August 20, 1984, due to an incident involving a Royal Fiji Military Forces bulldozer on the old Rewa Bridge. The obstruction halted road and air traffic for over five hours, also delaying flights from Nausori Airport.
According to reports, the chaos ensued around 1 PM when the army truck transporting the bulldozer had to make way for a bottle collector’s vehicle on the narrow bridge. In the process, the bulldozer’s blade struck a support beam, causing it to slide off the truck and land below.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported despite the nature of the incident. However, hundreds of vehicles became stranded on both sides of the bridge, causing significant inconvenience for travelers and local residents until around 6 PM.
Mohammed Yunus, an employee of Western Wreckers, played a crucial role in resolving the situation. He explained it took four hours to clear the bridge. The team had to stabilize the bulldozer by starting it and using a fork attached to its back as a jack, allowing them to lift it gradually while placing timber supports underneath its tracks. They also towed away the bottle collector’s truck before successfully returning the bulldozer to the army truck.
The delay impacted Air Pacific, which had to postpone five flights by half an hour. Passengers and airport staff navigated through the traffic backlog to reach the airport.
Despite the disruption, prompt action by the rescue teams and workers helped restore normalcy to the area by late evening.