Vanuatu’s longest bridge to be built at South Santo’s Navaka River

March 12, 2024 10:06 pm | Posted in Business News | Share now TwitterFacebook

By Doddy Morris.

The longest bridge in Vanuatu will be built in South Santo, at the Navaka River, as part of the South Santo Road Project, which is funded by the World Bank.

This was confirmed by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), which also confirmed that the bridge is designed as a 210-meter-long, 3-span steel truss structure.

According to the people of South Santo, the Navaka Bridge and other bridges that will be built by the CCECC significantly improve access to markets and essential services, contributing to faster, safer, and more reliable road transport on Santo Island.

“Sometimes when there is heavy rainfall, we cannot have access to Luganville town for work and access Government services since the river is flooded. Sometimes we cannot cross the river for at least two weeks straight,” said a resident of Tasiriki village.

“We occasionally have to travel by boat when the river keeps on flooding for a week. However, this longest bridge will now make it possible for us to access government services not only in good weather but also in bad weather, as there is now a bridge connecting us to Luganville town.”

The World Bank recognises that Vanuatu is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to the effects of climate change and natural disaster risks. The nation has been hard-hit by cyclones, drought, flooding, and subsequent landslides in recent years, all of which are expected to become more intense due to climate change.

“When disasters do occur, transport systems, especially river crossings and roads on the perimeters of islands, often bear a large share of the damage. Transport disruptions can then have serious effects across the entire economy, cutting off access to essential services, severely hampering disaster response efforts, and slowing economic recovery,” the World Bank stated.

It added the project will also strengthen the management of road assets for climate resilience across Vanuatu through technical assistance and project support.

The total cost of the South Santo Road project reported by the World Bank in 2020 is US$66 million. Phase 1 of the project started in June last year, 2023, and will include 11 bridges, 3 minor repairs, and 2 box culverts.