Fiji Roads Authority (FRA) is advising road users that there are no longer weight restrictions on the bridges from Labasa to Nabouwalu.
This follows after, major works were carried out on the Vatudova Bridge.
Vatudova Bridge which is 20m long and skewed is the only bridge which lies on the main highway route from Labasa to Nabouwalu Jetty which had a weight restriction of 20.0 tonnes in both directions.
This bridge had a thin concrete deck which was in a dilapidated condition and only one side of the bridge deck could be utilised with timber decking for the traffic flow. The remaining beams and sub structure of the is in good condition. A temporary single lane bailey bridge was used to allow traffic in another direction.
The old dilapidated concrete deck was jack hammered out in stages and structural checks carried out on the beams and abutments.
The new reinforcement and shear connectors based on new design were placed and the concrete deck of 200 mm thick was cast which was left to cure to gain strength before it was allowed for vehicular traffic.
The new and improved bridge also has a new footpath and hand railing for safety.
By carrying out this work, the current load restriction is now removed; this means no restriction between Nabouwalu and Labasa now that Vesidrua, Korovuli and Korovula have operating Bailey Bridges.
This project was undertaken by Fulton Hogan (Fiji) Pte Ltd under the strict supervision of FRA North team.