Construction of the $1.3 million iconic suspension bridge in the chiefly village of Bua Lomani Koro, in Bua, has officially begun, marking the end of a 10-year wait.

This latest development follows the groundbreaking ceremony led by the Minister for Public Works, Ro Filipe Tuisawau.

The bridge, once the only immediate access point to the village, has been out of service after it collapsed in 2015, and villagers, including school students, have been risking their lives swimming across the Bua River.

Minister Ro Filipe Tuisawau says the new bridge is expected to benefit more than 800 villagers, including three primary schools and a secondary school.

The minister for public works says that the government should prioritize work on equity, especially at the community level, for those who are challenged on a daily basis.

“That it shouldn’t focus only on major developments on big infrastructure developments or the demand of investors coming in in terms of infrastructure, but we shouldn’t forget the people like those here in Bua and those in other parts of Fiji.”

Tui Bua Ra Makutu Nagagavoka has acknowledged the government for the much-needed project that would benefit the village.

He says there has been a lot of talk and discussion on this bridge after the last government wanted to construct a bridge where vehicles could also cross, but the Vanua have decided to maintain it as a footbridge because it’s a chiefly village and traditional protocols and respect must be protected.

Ra Makutu adds that this will not only benefit the villages of Tiliva, Dalomo, and Bua but also the Tausa, Nasuva, and Luvuluvu areas.

Meanwhile, the first phase of the suspension project, which is the construction of the foundation of the two bridge towers, is expected to be completed by July, and phase two of the project is expected to begin by August.

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