The upgrade of the 4.23-kilometre Queen Elizabeth Drive in Suva will cost $65.7 million upon completion.
Minister for Public Works, Transport and Meteorological Services Minister Ro Filipe Tuisawau said this in Parliament yesterday.
He told MPs the initial contract cost was $61.9m.
“It was started under the previous government but some fundamental questions we need to ask regarding projects such as this is whether this is what we should be prioritising given the extremely high costs.
“Because with that estimated total costs at the completion of the project of $65.7m that would work out to 4.23 kilometres — $15.5m per kilometre.
“So this is what the Coalition Government is re-looking at.
“Whether we will be repeating such resource projects which are so costly.”
The project is nearing completion and targeted to be completed around the end of this year.
“There was a variation in design change, redesigned for the purpose of shifting alignments towards the sea to avoid land acquisition.
“This also included delay damages to contractors as this was a design and build contract.”
Ro Filipe said on January 12, 2021 there was another variation of $3.3 million added to the contract to meet climate resilience lifting of old pavement works and services relocation with Telecom Fiji Ltd.
“So the total variation was $3.7m and payment to date is $49.7m and the estimated cost to completion is $65.7m.”
