Wainaloka Bridge 2 bypass in Ovalau washed away [Source: Fiji Roads Authority/Twitter]

Bus routes and services may be disrupted in some areas of the Western and Northern Divisions due to road damage caused by torrential rain and resulting floods over the last three days.

Fiji Roads Authority Acting Chief Executive Sonal Goundar, says a reconnaissance of the damage to FRA infrastructure is currently underway.

According to Goundar, FRA teams are also monitoring flood water levels in order to plan and deploy contractors for remediation work.

He says preliminary damage assessments indicate that the damage to low-level crossings was caused by flood debris accumulating against structures and diverting flood waters to road approaches, resulting in structural damage and washout of approaches.

According to the Acting Chief Executive, there is also widespread gravel loss from unsealed roads, making them unsafe to use in rainy weather.

⚠️⚠️ Wainaloka Bridge 2 bypass in Ovalau washed away.

Please #TeamFiji stay safe and take heed of all advisories from the @FijiNDMO & @FJMETservice

Please click on the link below to view the list of roads closed : https://t.co/89BVSwP53p

For more infor, call toll-free #5720. pic.twitter.com/twSz636JES

— Fiji Roads Authority (@FijiRoads) February 18, 2023

He adds that the FRA is unable to deploy heavy equipment such as rollers and graders to some of the affected areas because doing so would exacerbate road damage.

Goundar has urged heavy vehicle operators to avoid hauling on unsealed roads, which will damage the saturated pavement and worsen road conditions.