FRA fixing potholes around Fiji after recent wet weather

As the sun comes out in Viti Levu after many days of heavy rain, Fiji Roads Authority contractors are out in many areas to fix the increased number of potholes on the road network.

FRA Chief Executive Officer John Hutchinson says the recent wet weather has not been favourable and the road crews continue to work on restoring road conditions. 

He says FRA is aware of the pothole situation on our roads and their contractors are dispatching up to 27 pothole crews a day.

These include 13 crews in the Central Division and another 14 crews in the Western Division. 

Hutchinson says the immediate priority is to restore the conditions of main arterial roads and other high volume traffic roads in both the Central and Western Division.

The FRA contractors will then work to roll over into the side streets once the main arterial roads are maintained.

He says there is a huge backlog of roads that need to be resealed and rehabilitated.

Until such time, the remaining roads will continue to receive the pothole treatment until they get rehabilitated. 

The FRA has a reseal treatment programme that includes applying seal coat to the road making it waterproof and a rehabilitation treatment programme that is essentially rebuilding the road.

Hutchinson says potholes are formed when the road is no longer waterproof.

Water seeps into the road pavement, displacing the soil materials.   

He says unfortunately sustained wet weather and water on the road often cause pothole patches to fail and that is why people see an increase in the number of pot holes after wet weather.