THE planned demolition of the old Rewa bridge is an issue some residents of Nausori pray and hope that the authorities will not rush into.
The Fiji Roads Authority has allocated funding this year to carry out a study that will determine whether to demolish or reuse the old bridges in Fiji, including the old Rewa Bridge.
FRA program manager Bridges and Jetties, Nixon Toremana said the old Rewa bridge was currently used as a pedestrian access at this stage.
This bridge was opened in 1937. The 383m, 9 span steel truss bridge was closed to traffic in August 2005, when a new concrete bridge was opened downstream.
Since then there has been a proposal put forward by the Nausori Town Council to use the old bridge as flea market.
In 2011, the Ministry of Works set aside $1 million in order to dismantle the bridge so that the materials can be used for other bridges in the country.
The then Department of National Roads decided the bridge should be dismantled or demolished.
In 2008, Roughton, a company in the United Kingdom, was appointed to carry out an initial inspection and report on the options for re-use or demolition for scrap.
By reaching the decision to demolish the bridge, the company hoped they have done careful and proper analysis after taking into consideration all impacts of the demolition including the economics, social, historical and most important of all “pedestrian safety”.
Like in any proper analysis, these impacts should have been weighed and stakeholders’ opinions heard before a decision was reached.
However, when contacted earlier this week, the Nausori Town Council acting CEO Deo Narayan said, any work carried out on the old Rewa Bridge would be a decision made by the Fiji Roads Authority.
Today six schools (Lelean Memorial School, Saraswati College, Dilkusha High School, Saraswati Primary, Dilkusha Boys Primary and Dilkusha Girls Primary) are located within a kilometre radius from the Davuilevu end of the old bridge.
The bulk of students whose ages range from six to 19 use the old bridge as a walkway to and from Nausori Town on their way to or from school.
There are also students who attend schools at the Nausori side of the river who reside at Davuilevu, Dilkusha and Waila and surrounding areas who also use the bridge daily. This does not include other pedestrians including workers who use this bridge every day.
In September last year, the Yavusa of Vunivivi in Nausori had pleaded with Government to keep the old Rewa bridge.
Newly-installed Nausori chief, Komai Nausori, Ratu Lepani Tagicakibau said the bridge belonged to Government and the last they had heard was to demolish the bridge but this was a few years back.
“The bridge is like a landmark in Nausori. It’s a very historical place as it is also near Syria Park which commemorates the day indentured labourers arrived on our shores,” Ratu Lepani said.
Mere Singh, a resident of Manoca in Nausori, said the old bridge provided the safest crossing for pedestrians during peak hours where they could walk at their own pace without bumping on to each other.
Recent media reports seem to focus more on the economics of the issue including plans to sell or recycle metals from the old bridge after demolition. This may bring in or save millions of dollars.
“I hope that whoever did this analysis and convinced the authorities that the demolition of the old Rewa Bridge is the best option also used a “fair price tag” in valuating all the lives that will be lost.
