Fiji Critical Bridges Resilience Project

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The Project forms part of the Pacific Climate Resilient Transport Program (PCRTP) Series of Projects (SOP). PCRTP, which has four broad pillars that focus on increasing resilience in the transport sector through: (i) utilizing spatial and sector planning tools; (ii) investing in climate resilient infrastructure; (iii) strengthening the enabling environment; and, (iv) supporting post-disaster recovery. The activities proposed under the Project are aligned with these four broad pillars of support. The proposed US$226 million project will be jointly financed with Asian Development Bank (ADB) contributing a minimum of US$60 million and IBRD providing US$50 million. The Project Development Objective (PDO) is to: “Improve the resilience of Fiji's road network to natural hazards and climate change, and in case of an Eligible Crisis or Emergency, respond promptly and effectively to it.” The PDO will be achieved through the following proposed components: (i) Component 1: Spatial and Sector Planning Tools, (ii) Component 2: Climate Resilient Bridge Infrastructure Assets (replacement of ten bridges), (iii) Component 3: Strengthening the Enabling Environment through technical assistance and, (iv) Component 4: Contingent Emergency Response Component (CERC).Project typologies include construction works, technical assistance and a contingent emergency response component (CERC). Physical investments involve construction of new bridge structures and approaches to replace ten identified critical bridge assets across King’s and Queen’s Roads in Viti Levu. Replacement of the selected bridges will involve as a minimum, wider 2-lane carriageways, shoulders and pedestrian footpaths to improve the safety of all road users, increased hydraulic capacity by raising deck heights and increasing bridge lengths to better accommodate water levels and flows during flood events. The Transport Infrastructure Investment Project (TIIP), P150028, jointly financed by World Bank and Asian Development Bank (ADB) and approved in 2015, is helping address the backlog of bridge maintenance and its scope includes the detailed design for the reconstruction and upgrading of 40 of the most critical bridges, including the ten bridges that will be replaced under Component 2 of this project. Design works are underway and being prepared in accordance with the Environmental and Social Framework (ESF).