Similar funding for the next four years will help upgrade

Mere Naleba
Monday, November 26, 2012

Fiji Roads Authority manager change Mike Rudge believes that all road works and other road maintenance that needs urgent repairing will be done successfully, with the $422 million budget allocation by the government for next year.

"The FRA is delighted with the budget that the government has provided. This budget achieves a good balance of improving the road network with the new capital projects in Suva, Nadi and Vanua Levu and sustainable funding for roads and bridge renewal and maintenance," he said.

He said if the government and other donors continued to assist FRA with similar funding for the next four years, FRA would be able to maintain maintenance and renewal of more than 500km of reseals, more than 85km rehabilitation works, 80,000km of unsealed roads grading, 300km of new gravel on the unsealed road, all potholes filled within a week maximum response time, pavement repairs, improved pavement marking and delineation, shoulder maintenance, drainage maintenance (cleaning and upgrading), signs maintenance, routine bridge work (excludes major structural work), vegetation control, initial emergency response (excluding full reinstatement to be funded separately) and improved standard of traffic management.

Mr Rudge said government was aware of similar level of funding for the next few years in order to sustain road conditions that had been repaired and those that were currently being fixed.

"The FRA believes that the level of funding the government has provided for maintenance and renewals of roads and bridges will allow us to make a difference to the roads that most need it," he said.

FRA received $27.3 million for its operating grant and $395.1 million as its capital grant.