Eighty percent of work on the Luganville Urban Road Upgrade Project has been completed.

The project covers the asphalting of 11.6 kilometres of road and, over the past year, has changed the face of Luganville town, where many road improvements have been carried out.

While the changes have caused some frustration for drivers, a taxi driver, Mr John William, said roadside parking is taking up too much space and is affecting traffic flow.

“The problem I see with the road is parking. When trucks park on the side of the road, they disturb traffic. When people want to go into town, there is no space. When you stop in a place that is not for parking, you have to give way to other trucks, and this affects many other vehicles.”

Another taxi driver said the changes have brought more control to the road, helping to prevent unnecessary accidents that used to happen before.

“I think the new road is good. It gives more control to traffic. Before, I could make a U-turn anywhere I wanted, but now it controls me and gives me only one way to go. Everyone will respect that.”

However, he said pedestrian crossings are important to keep traffic flowing smoothly.

“If you look around town, people cross the road anywhere they want, which slows down traffic. If we can have pedestrian crossings around town, people will know where to cross, and drivers will respect those places.”

VBTC News has received confirmation from the Sanma Public Works Department that some work remains before the project is fully completed. The cost of the upgrade is over one billion vatu, funded by the Government of Vanuatu.

PWD Sanma said the remaining work includes road signs and line marking, including pedestrian crossings, asphalting small sections of road not yet completed, and beautification work such as planting flowers in the road median, as well as footpaths and drainage.

They said issues related to roadside parking will involve further consultation, with PWD and the Luganville Municipal Council working together with business houses to address the matter.

PWD Sanma also said the delay is due to asphalt machinery currently being used on other road projects in Sanma Province. CCECC is working on three road projects in the province, including the South Santo Road Project, the East Coast Road, and the Luganville Urban Road Upgrade Project