CAPTION: FRA CEO Neil Cook, sitting second from right, seen with members of the Nadi Chamber of Commerce and Industry and his contractors during a meeting at the Jacks of Fiji training room. Photo: SHALENDRA PRASAD.
By SHALENDRA PRASAD
SUNDAY, February 3, 2013. (8.40am) Neil Cook, chief executive officer of the newly formed Fiji Roads Authority (FRA) has been moving around meeting the management of municipalities around the country.
Last week Mr Cook was in the western division to discuss the smooth transition of roads and roads drainage from the municipal councils to FRA.
“As of January 1, this year, all roads are now under our care and in a few months time, people can expect to see road upgrade works which has not been seen for some time,” Mr Cook said while addressing certain grievances and misconceptions raised by members of the Nadi Chamber of Commerce and Industry NCCI) in regards to the proposed four-lane road extension in Nadi.
Mr Cook said the current bad weather pattern has affected implementation of major road work so far but expects upgrading works to begin country-wide in a few months time.
FRA CEO Neil Cook browses though a copy of The Jet Newspaper. Photo; SHALENDRA PRASAD.
“The real challenge at the moment is the transferring of all the equipment and machinery from the old department to us but all this is expected to be sorted out soon.”
Mr Cook together with senior members of his management team and contractors assigned to carry out the major road upgrading works in Nadi met members of NCCI to iron out all misconceptions certain members had about the proposed four-lane upgrade from Nasoso junction to Nadi town.
“There will be hardly any property affected with this proposed development and everything is at a planning stage at the moment so people and property owners should not panic,” said Bob Barraclough, the principal project leader – transport of MWH – a New Zealand civil engineering company assigned for the road upgrade works.
Mr Barraclough said the benefits of the new proposed development in Nadi will mean faster traffic flow and more development for Nadi and Fiji at large.
“We are not here to take away peoples land,” Mr Barraclough clarified.
Work on the proposed developments is expected to start within the first half of this year with construction and planning works anticipated to run simultaneously.