FRA TO COMMENCE SEALING ROAD THROUGH RARALEVU VILLAGE NEXT WEEK
March 3, 2017FRA CONCERNED WITH CONTINUED SEVERE OVERLOADING ON THE ROAD NETWORK
March 10, 2017
Waimanu Road is one of the oldest roads in Suva. The ageing infrastructure beneath the road has passed its serviceable life and this is what the Fiji Roads Authority needs to be considerate of in its planning stages before any physical work can commence to improve Waimanu Road.
The complete rehabilitation of Waimanu Road is scheduled for 2018. This will include replacing and realigning of unserviceable underground infrastructure within the carriageway.
FRA Chief Executive John Hutchinson says that Waimanu Road has storm water channels and water pipes under the road that are old, fragile, past its serviceable life and could collapse from the vibration caused by heavy machinery that will be required for roadworks.
“Much of the potholed and repeatedly patched surface that the public see on Waimanu road is a direct result of the aged and fragile services underneath, in particular water services.”
“If rebuilding Waimanu Road was so easy, we would have done it years ago. The Fiji Roads Authority has copped backlash from the community because of Waimanu Road and I am going to apologise and say, you must endure the ride for a little while longer as we work to get the work done.”
Mr Hutchinson stated that the Fiji Roads Authority has received loan funding from the Asian Development Bank and World Bank for the Transport Infrastructure Investment Sector Project to carry out multiple infrastructure improvement projects on roads and bridges around the country.
One of these projects is called the “Suva Arterial Road Upgrading Project” (SARUP). This project is about upgrading and improving sealed roads accommodating large volumes of traffic.
Two packages of work, SARUP 1 and SARUP 2 have been drawn up. SARUP 1 was advertised in 2016 and the contract was awarded to China Railway Group 5 on 17 November 2016. The contract value for SARUP 1 is FJD22, 917,926.52 (VEP)
“Waimanu Road is part of SARUP 2 and this work will be let through competitive tender and it will be going out to market soon. It is amongst 16 other roads that also require the same level of service as Waimanu Road. These are roads that have aged infrastructure in them that will need to be replaced before any road works can commence.”
Fiji Roads Authority will continue to maintain Waimanu road until the SARUP 2 project starts.
