Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has revealed that the development of a bypass road in Labasa Town is being considered a matter of urgency, following the recent fire on the main street of the town.

This as the Labasa Fire Station has only one entrance into town, through the Labasa Bridge, which is also accessed by private and public vehicles.

Rabuka says he has received a recommendation from members of cabinet, to transform the railway bridge parallel to Labasa Bridge into another thoroughfare.

“So, that was long before the fire. It has been on the drawing board for some time, but nobody has thought about the FSC reserve on the tramline which is not really used … it is used during cane cutting season but apart from that, it is used very little. We are thinking about that, but obviously … we were caught unprepared.”

Rabuka says this wwill depend on the reallocation of available funds, but the issue has been taken into consideration and placed on the drawing board.

Earlier this year, the construction of a bypass road in Labasa Town hung in the balance as the focus shifted towards the replacement of the Labasa Bridge.

However, the Ministry of Finance is expected to release the result of a feasibility study on the project, which has identified three options for the development.

The previous government had allocated $700,000 for the feasibility study, as well as the design of the first two stages of the bypass road in Labasa Town.

According to Rabuka the people’s hope now lies with the coalition government, for the construction of another road to help ease traffic in and out of the town.