The upgrading road works along Foster Road in Walu Bay will ensure smooth traffic flow following completion.

This is aligned with Fiji’s National Development Plan and Government’s vision of expanding the Suva/Lami Corridor to four lanes. Works began on February 18, 2022 and is expected to complete by July 2023.

The project is being delivered by the Fiji Roads Authority (FRA) under the Trans[1]port Infrastructure Investment Sector Project.

The contract is being undertaken by China Railway No. Five Engineering Group (Fiji). FRA chief executive officer Kamal Prasad said Foster Road was part of the Suva Arterial Road Upgrading Project (SARUP) Two and the rehabilitation and upgrading activities were in progress.

Road works along Foster Road in Walu Bay, Suva. Photo: Ronald Kumar

“The infrastructure service life from the road to Utility Service’s demanded an upgrade of the road as the services have become outdated and also the traffic congestion and safety,” he said.

Mr Prasad said FRA plans to remove the roundabout at Foster and Amra Street and install traffic lights. All utility services will be going underground.

These will all be new and strategic installations to factor in easy access by the utilities to their infrastructure and less delay anticipated by the travelling public should a defect arise to the utility services. New footpaths will also be constructed along Foster Road.

“We will design proper parking bays for the overall safety of the public and the business community,” he said.

Tamavua- i-wai Bridge Mr Prasad said they will demolish the old Tamavua- i-wai Bridge by this month end and build a new one in its place.

In March this year, the Government signed the Exchange of Notes for the Construction Phase of the Project for Reconstruction of the Tamavua-i-Wai Bridge.

The project is funded by the Japanese government involving engineering, social and environmental studies of the bridge for both the detailed design and the main construction at the cost of $60 million.

“There will be a roundabout for Queens Road and Nadonumai junction to tie in with our forward works programme for the four lanes widening from Tamavua-i-wai to Lami.”

The cost of the road works was yet to be issued when this edition went to press.

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