Peceli Naviticoko 
Plans to replace the ageing bridge in Labasa are progressing after funding was secured for the long-awaited infrastructure project.
Labasa Special Administrator Chair Paul Jaduram says the project will help improve traffic flow and support development in the Northern Division.
He says the Fiji Roads Authority has approved the project following consultations with stakeholders and the business community, with funding support from the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank.
“The current bridge will be demolished and replaced with a new bridge that has already been approved by the Fiji Roads Authority. Funding has also been approved by the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank. The early bridge at Naqai, through Naqai Village, and the Bailey bridge will remain as an optional crossing from the eastern to the western side of Labasa. Before the current bridge is demolished, there will also be a temporary foot crossing provided for pedestrians. All of this is part of the program.”
The new bridge will be built about 1.2 metres higher than the existing structure to improve flood clearance and account for future sea-level rise.
Jaduram says an additional bridge will also be constructed upstream near Naqai Village to provide access during the construction period.
Construction of the new Labasa bridge is expected to begin in 2027 and could take three to four years to complete.
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