ADB approves $199.5M to replace critical bridges in Lami, Medraukutu, Sabeto and Viseisei

The Asian Development Bank has approved a $199.5 million project that will replace critical bridges in Lami, Medraukutu, Sabeto and Viseisei to improve domestic transport connectivity.

The Critical Bridges Resilience Project is funded by a $120 million ADB concessional loan and a $14.5 million grant financed by the Asian Development Fund (ADF), 13 Thematic Pool, under its disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation strategic area.

The ADF provides grants to ADB’s poorest and most vulnerable developing member countries.

The Government of Fiji is providing $15 million in counterpart financing.

The project is proposed to be jointly co-financed by the World Bank with a $50 million loan.

ADB’s Pacific Subregional Office Regional Director Aaron Batten says the construction of the four bridges will transform domestic connectivity providing better linkages to markets, schools and health services.

The ADF grant will fund part of the construction cost of the bridges, covering the incremental costs of the resilience of the bridges to disasters, especially earthquakes and liquefaction.