By Staff Writer
Motorists from the east of Apia will have a new short cut added across the Vaisigano River that cuts straight from the Fa’atoia Road to Ma’agao and right into the Loto Samasoni Bridge.
The new road connection is more than 200 meters long but with a long gulley that runs north to south.
General Manager of the Land and Transport Authority, Galumalemana Titi Schwalger, is planning for the construction work on the road to be done early next year.
“This is all part of the road network we are working on to help ease traffic congestion on the eastern side of town,” Galumalemana explained.
The LTA boss conceded readily that the volume of traffic on the roads has put a lot of pressure on new infrastructure to be in place.
The planned construction of the Lelata Bridge to handle the congestion from the volume of traffic to the educational institutions at Vaivase is one example.
Traffic at the Lelata bridge crossing is on a single lane each way and long traffic jams in the peak hours of the morning and afternoon are common.
“Construction is scheduled for next year and it is one of the reasons why we are working on the new road link from Fa’atoia to the Ma’agao Road and then to the Loto Samasoni Bridge.
“We need to complete this work to take on some of the load when we close the Lelata Bridge.”
Infrastructural work along the main bridge crossings at the Vaisigano River has become an on going series of projects in recent years.
The most recent is the major Vaisigano Bridge that opened only a few weeks ago, to ease the congestions along the three smaller bridge crossings at Leone, Loto Samasoni and Lelata.
Motorists from along the east coast of Upolu have a long travel around to the south side of the island to reach Apia, if the crossings along the Vaisigano River are closed down.
