The government has moved from assessment to action on Fiji’s vulnerable river crossings, prioritising the replacement of ageing bridges and approaches identified as high‑risk after Tropical Cyclone Vaianu. Minister for Public Works, Transport and Meteorological Services Ro Filipe Tuisawau said a programme of works is already under way to renew structures and shore up sections of the national road network prone to washouts.
Tuisawau told reporters a detailed damage assessment following TC Vaianu is being completed to ensure emergency repairs meet required engineering and safety standards. “There are some areas, bridges, crossings, which need to be renewed, especially the approach to the crossings, and some have been aging infrastructure,” he said, stressing that the assessments guide which sites require replacement rather than patch repairs.
The current work plan includes replacing old crossings with stronger box culverts or more robust structural solutions, with acquisitions now under way to secure the necessary materials and contracts. The Fiji Roads Authority (FRA) has been directed to work closely with contractors to strengthen vulnerable sections — particularly bridge approaches — to prevent scour and washouts during heavy rain and flooding. “Some of the crossings, as you can see from the report, the approaches are the problem,” Tuisawau said.
Implementation of bridge renewals is expected to continue through the end of the present financial year, covering planned activity in June and July, and will extend into the next budget period. Tuisawau emphasised that restoration work will not wait on the final accounting of damage costs. “I haven’t had the figures yet. I will get that from the FRA, but the recovery is immediately,” he said, noting a separate emergency works budget will be mobilised as soon as weather conditions allow.
Officials say the immediate use of the emergency works allocation means crews can begin ratification and repair work as soon as it is safe to do so, avoiding delays from administrative or procurement bottlenecks. That shift to rapid deployment reflects lessons from recent weather events, which exposed recurring vulnerabilities across some parts of Fiji’s road network where older crossings and weakened approaches fail under flood stress.
The announcement signals a move from emergency triage to longer‑term renewal in places where repeated damage has highlighted structural weakness. By replacing outdated crossings with strengthened culverts or redesigned structures and bolstering approaches, the government aims to reduce future disruption from cyclones and heavy rainfall while the full post‑Vaianu damage bill is finalised. The FRA remains the lead agency coordinating contractors and site work as the programme progresses.
Leave a comment