Peceli Naviticoko 
Traffic congestion in Labasa continues to worsen, with growing concern over the town’s ageing infrastructure and the urgent need for a new bypass route.
Business operator and Labasa Chamber of Commerce member Amelia Simmons says the town’s original layout did not anticipate the rapid increase in vehicle ownership now estimated at two to four cars per family.
As calls intensify for long-term solutions, stakeholders are urging authorities to act before the situation becomes critical.
Simmons says the pressure on existing infrastructure has become unsustainable.
“I’ve been back now six years, and I’ve seen it increasingly get busier and busier. As you know, Labasa was developed as one street. The developers at that time never took into consideration that there would be that many cars on the road.”
While a temporary bypass is being planned, Simmons says a major concern is the deteriorating FSC Bridge, which connects Labasa Town to essential services, including the main hospital.
“If something happens to that bridge, all traffic will stop. The hospital is over that bridge how does the ambulance get there? I’ve walked that bridge myself, and I don’t feel safe.”
Labasa Special Administrator Chair, Paul Jaduram, acknowledges the strain on infrastructure and says ongoing development, including new bridge plans, will help open nearby areas for future expansion.
Meanwhile, design work for both the bypass and new bridge projects is underway, with final plans expected by the end of this year. Signing and construction are targeted to begin in late 2025 or early 2026.
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