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The Fiji Roads Authority has been allocated a total of $272.4m in the 2021-2022 national budget.

According to the Budget Estimates, $12.6m is for operating expenditure and $259.8m for capital expenditure.

$72.9m is allocated for the essential maintenance of FRA’s road assets.

$50m has been made for FRA’s ongoing programme for the renewal and rehabilitation of roads. Through this programme, it is expected that user vehicle operating costs, vehicle occupant safety and FRA annual maintenance costs will be reduced.

$34m is allocated towards the Upgrade and Replacement of Bridges Programme.

$15.9m is provided for the Rural Roads Programme.

$15m is allocated for Stage 2 of the Queen Elizabeth Drive, Nasese upgrade project – which involves road upgrading, drainage improvements, pavement works and utility relocation. This is expected to ease congestion and improve the road user experience.

$70m is set aside for the Transport Infrastructure Investment Sector Project – which aims to rehabilitate roads, bridges and jetties to achieve climate-resilient transport infrastructure, more efficient project management support and effective institutional management.

The project is financed through the Asian Development Bank and World Bank loans of US$100m and US$50m respectively, supplementing already-robust Government investment.

The breakdown for the 2021-2022 Budget allocation of $70m are as follows: Asian Development Bank – $50m; and World Bank – $20m.

Through the transport infrastructure investment project loan, major arterial roads – Queens and Kings Road will be rehabilitated with new footpaths and street lights including bus shelters across the villages and settlements.

The design for forty (40) new critical bridges and three major jetties (Savusavu, Nabouwalu and Natovi) will also be completed.

Foster Road will be having a major facelift with a new surface, alongside parking provisions and new traffic lights amongst major intersections.