The Fiji Roads Authority (FRA) has this year ramped up capital and maintenance work across Fiji, deploying $371 million in 2025 capital programmes and spending a further $186 million on maintenance as it pushes to strengthen rural connectivity and climate resilience across the network. Minister for Public Works Ro Filipe Tuisawau said the package has delivered visible upgrades in urban and remote communities and set timelines for several major projects now moving into construction or alignment phases.
In the Central Division, the FRA sealed 12.5 kilometres of road in Suva — including works on busy Princess Road — as part of the capital programme. Maintenance crews cleared drainage and completed 31 kilometres of renewals on the Navua-to-Nausori corridor, work Tuisawau said was critical to tackling recurring flood damage and improving safety and access for commuters and freight. Routine Western Division works have concentrated on stabilising coastal corridors around Rakiraki and Lautoka.
Outer island upgrades are advancing, the minister confirmed, with targeted projects on Lakeba, Moala and Rotuma receiving capital support. Maritime works are nearing completion along 28 kilometres of coastal infrastructure, with 95 percent of those upgrades finished and new solar-lit jetties installed at Vunisea and Koro to boost night-time safety and improve ferry operations.
Japan’s $70 million grant for the Tamavua-i-Wai Bridge remains a headline project. Tuisawau said the bridge is now in the alignment phase, which involves road realignments and traffic diversions ahead of major bridge works. “We acknowledge and appreciate the government of Japan in this initiative, and work continues with road alignment, traffic diversions, and the bridge itself. These adjustments will improve the road networks in the Central Division,” he said. Separately, the $30 million Vutia road and bridge project is scheduled to start construction in May 2026, adding another link aimed at reducing vulnerability on key rural routes.
On the crossings and bridge front, FRA has opened tendering for 15 new crossings, with procurement expected to be completed by August 2026. Design work for the $300 million Wairiki project is reported complete, positioning that scheme to move into procurement and construction planning later in the programme cycle.
Tuisawau framed the investment as part of a broader resilience strategy for Fiji’s land transport network, which comprises some 6,400 kilometres of roads and about 1,400 bridges. He said the upgraded and climate-resilient network will enhance market access, school attendance and emergency response in remote areas, while better drainage and renewals aim to reduce flood-related road closures that have disrupted communities in recent years.
The scale and scheduling of these works mark the latest development in government efforts to modernise Fiji’s transport backbone. With multiple projects now entering alignment and construction phases and a significant overseas grant leveraged for a central bridge, the FRA’s 2025 programme underscores a move from planning and design toward delivery on both mainland and outer-island priorities.
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