Overloading is now causing structural damage along the new Kings road especially from Ba to Rakiraki costing the Fiji Roads Authority thousands of dollars every year.
FRA General Manager Network Operations and Maintenance Aram Goes says their team witnessed trucks carting more than the legal load limit in areas such as Dawasamu, Bua, Natewa, Nadi and Rakiraki.
He says deliberate overloading needs to be addressed as this could reduce reactive annual maintenance costs up to $30 to $50 million given the growing number of vehicles.
Goes adds this can also reduce planned renewal programme which can save the government up to $120 million per annum.
He adds that for even only 1 Tonne overload, the pavement life will reduce from 20 years to 13 years.
The Land Transport Authority statistics indicate that over half of the vehicles that the LTA manages to weigh are overloaded by as much as 3‑5 Tonne per axle.
