71 roads and crossings affected following TC Urmil

A total of 71 roads and crossings have been damaged or affected following the recent severe weather associated with Tropical Cyclone Urmil, with 51 currently closed and 20 operating under restricted access.

Minister for Public Works, Transport and Meteorological Services Ro Filipe Tuisawau says work is ongoing to restore road networks and crossings damaged by the recent weather.

He says that while major roads have now reopened to traffic, several low-level crossings remain closed due to floodwaters.

He says the Fiji Roads Authority and its contractors are continuing to monitor the road and crossing network and will carry out repairs as soon as weather conditions allow.

The Minister is reminding drivers to exercise caution in the current road conditions, urging them to avoid speeding and follow road signs and temporary traffic management measures in affected areas.

He says priority clearance is focused on major routes, access to hospitals, schools and critical economic corridors, while engineering assessments continue to determine the cost of permanent reinstatement for damaged structures.

In the Western Division, 8 roads have been affected by flooding, 4 by fallen trees, 2 due to scouring on the carriageway, and 1 road is restricted to a single lane due to an overslip.

A total of 29 crossings have been affected by flooding, 6 by approach washouts, 1 crossing is closed due to debris on the deck, and 1 crossing has been closed due to structural washout.

In the Northern Division, 5 roads have been affected by flooding and a fallen tree, 1 bridge is closed due to flooding, and 11 crossings have been affected by flooding and approach washouts.

In the Central Division, a closure has been reported at Colata Cocoa Crossing.

In the Eastern Division, a road dropout has been reported at Nabukelevu-i-ra Road near Qalira Village.

Ro Filipe says FRA’s emergency contractors have been deployed to the Western and Northern Divisions to carry out urgent restoration works.

He reiterates that the Government is committed to restoring and reopening road access as quickly as possible.

He is urging the public not to take risks and to follow instructions from the National Disaster Management Office, the Fiji Roads Authority and the Land Transport Authority.