It took almost a day to fix a sinkhole in the bridge at Fagali’i-Tai, causing the closure of part of the East Coast Road. This led to a chaotic start to the week with traffic diverted through Vailele and Fagalii as part of the East Coast Road was closed.

It is believed that the hole right next to the bridge was discovered on Sunday evening, posing a threat to drivers and could possibly inconvenience the travelling public for longer.

By 4 pm on Monday, the Land Transport Authority contractors had completed the repair works on the road, allowing the road to become accessible again.

According to LTA, the bridge had a serious structural problem and needed to be checked before it could be used again. They posted on their Facebook page that the culvert under the road had a defect and needed immediate attention. 

The bridge is believed to be around 20 years old.

Some residents living near the bridge said they saw the damage in the morning, but believe the incident happened during the night.

Police officers were on duty in the area to help guide traffic and keep people safe. Detours were in place, and drivers were being asked to use the alternate route shown on the map.