$2.5m Bridge Benefits 7K People
The Waibula Bridge, located at the Vunivasa Estate, serves eight villages and settlements in Wainikeli.
The commissioning of the Waibula Bridge in Wainikeli, Taveuni, brought much-needed relief to approximately 7,000 island residents. The government-funded bridge, worth $2.5 million, was commissioned by the Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka on the final day of his Northern Tour.
The new bridge replaces the old, deteriorated, and dangerously low-elevated bridge that had claimed the lives of five people in the past.
Mr Rabuka said road infrastructure projects aimed to improve the lives of Fijians and ensure their safety.
The Waibula Bridge, located at the Vunivasa Estate, serves eight villages and settlements in Wainikeli.
Dala Settlement advisory councillor Rajendra Prasad was relief, saying that the struggles of the past were now over.
He said the old bridge was unsafe and inaccessible during heavy rain and flooding, particularly affecting students and travelers.
Mr Prasad had requested and worked tirelessly for the new bridge’s construction over the past eight years. The new bridge is built on higher ground above the river, ensuring its safety during adverse weather conditions. Navakacoa Village headman, Mikaele Tawake, said that the new bridge had put an end to the long delays in waiting for flood waters to subside.
This development would allow for the transportation of agricultural produce such as yaqona, vegetables, and root crops to Naqara and other locations on Taveuni, enhancing the eco-tourism market on the island.
He believed that the new bridge would offer a ray of hope for the younger generation to progress in their education. Bridge contractor Faiyaz Khan of A Khan Hire Services assured that the bridge’s sustainability would last for 100 years.
The construction began in 2020 and was completed in 2021.