A significant traffic disruption occurred in Nausori on August 20, 1984, due to an incident on the old Rewa Bridge, as reported. The traffic jam halted both road and air travelers for more than five hours.
The chaos began when a bulldozer being transported on an army truck fell from the vehicle, blocking the bridge and impacting scheduled flights from Nausori Airport. Eyewitnesses described how the incident unfolded shortly before 1 PM when the army truck, attempting to give way to a bottle collector’s truck on the narrow bridge, hit a diagonal support. This caused the bulldozer to slide off the truck and land on a vehicle below.
Fortunately, there were no injuries reported from the incident, but hundreds of vehicles were stranded on both sides of the bridge until about 6 PM, resulting in significant inconvenience for travelers and local residents. Mohammed Yunus, an employee of Western Wreckers, played a crucial role in resolving the situation. He stated, “It took us four hours to clear the bridge,” describing the careful process of stabilizing the bulldozer and gradually lifting it to place timber supports underneath.
Air Pacific faced delays, with five flights from Nausori Airport pushed back by half an hour as passengers navigated the congested area on foot. Despite the challenges, Yunus emphasized the meticulous nature of the operation, which involved safely returning the bulldozer to the truck.
The army truck was on its way from Kasavu, Nausori, to Nabua in Suva when it encountered unexpected challenges, leading to the unusual incident. Thanks to the swift response of rescue teams and workers, normal traffic flow was restored by the evening.