SUVA – Road transportation to villages, power station and a hydro dam has been cut off after flood waters damaged their link to Suva – a bridge.
On Saturday morning, four trucks with root crops and vegetables to be sold at Nausori and Suva markets were stuck on the Wailoa end of the Naivucini Bridge.
The bridge is the only link for farmers in eight villages in Wailoa and Monasavu areas, one secondary school, four primary schools, the Wailoa power station and the Monasavu dam.
The only alternative route for those affected would be a a five-hour drive to Tavua.
Villagers of Naivucini helped people going to the market by carrying their cargo or transporting it on horseback across the flooded Wailase River.
Naivucini villager Tui Tadeo said part of the bridge gave way on Friday night, at the height of heavy rain.
At the Naivucini end, another mode of transportation had to be arranged to take the farmers and their vegetation to the markets.
He said of the farmers from Wailoa and Monasavu heading back from the market on Saturday spent the night at Naivucini before crossing the river on foot yesterday.
Naivucini Turaga ni koro Ananaisa Koroibete said this was the third time that the bridge was damaged.
