Saina to Faleolo to be two-lane road

By Joyetter Feagaimaali'i 29 January 2020, 11:00PM

The West Coast Road Project funded by the World Bank will see the building of a two-lane rather than a four-lane road from Saina to Faleolo.

This is according to the Ministry of Finance C.E.O., Leasiosiofaasisina Oscar Malielegaoi, in response to questions raised in Parliament last week by Members of Parliament. 

Speaking in his capacity as a member of the Tender’s Board overseeing funding from the World Bank-funded Project, Leasiosio said the four-lane road stops in Vaitele and would not go further. 

He said the project is already in its first phase with the road getting widened and tarred with high quality chipseal.

“However, after the next phase then the asphalt will be laid and no it’s not double lane, it will remain as two lane. There will be another road the Government intends to fix in Aleisa called the ala fa’alava as a second avenue to the airport, in any case of congestion.” 

Leasiosio said the concerns highlighted in Parliament – which led to the double lane issue being raised by leaders – is due to slow moving vehicles resulting in a long traffic queue on the way to the airport. 

“That’s why the Members of Parliament wanted the Government to look at having double lane roads to minimize traffic, but the current design does not have double lanes,” he said. “Its two lane and the middle lane which is a little wider, but we are looking at (if we can) improving the maneuver of cars when they die on the road and causing traffic to back up.

In 2018, the World Bank Executive Board approved a US$35.75 million (T$95.09m) grant to improve the climate resilience of Samoa’s road network and facilitate a rapid response in the event of a natural disaster. 

Funded under these grants are the infrastructure investments to improve the climate resilience of the West Coast Road between Malua and Faleolo.

By Joyetter Feagaimaali'i 29 January 2020, 11:00PM
Samoa Observer

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