Residents grapple with road washout
RESIDENTS of Savura Place in Wailoku are grappling with the aftermath of a road washout that occurred yesterday afternoon, forcing them to navigate across a creek and trek lengthy routes to reach their workplaces.
In an interview with The Fiji Times, Hans Karl, a resident living at the end of the damaged road, highlighted the challenges faced by locals who must traverse the creek to access the main road for work.
“There’s a factory on the other side of the damaged road, and employees had to walk uphill beside our house and cross the creek to reach work,” said Mr Karl.
He claimed that accumulated debris from adverse weather last week worsened the situation, damaging not only the road but also the water trunk main outlet along Savura Rd.
“Debris had piled up beside the water trunk, and with the force of the flooded river yesterday morning, it ruptured the trunk main, resulting in the landslip,” he explained,
Mr Karl added the water pressure from the ruptured trunk contributed to the landslip1.
He also expressed concerns that if the road is not promptly repaired, it remains vulnerable to further damage, especially with the unpredictable weather.
“Another heavy rainfall could severely damage the remainder of this road,” he cautioned.
The damaged trunk main has led to disruptions in local water supply, leading to the closure of nearby schools.
Water Authority of Fiji chief operating officer Seru Soderberg said the recovery timeframe would extend well into the weekend, depending on the weather.
He mentioned that WAF was collaborating with the Fiji Roads Authority and Flame Tree Developments Ltd to undertake ground stabilisation works, which will enable them to carry out pipe repair works.