FRC Concrete Pavement constructed in Vaimali Moriu Road Section, Epi with R4D2 funding and Technical support

The improvement works of roads on the island of Epi by the Vanuatu Coastal Adaptation Project (VCAP) was started in 2014.  In 2017, R4D (and later R4D2 in 2020), facilitated  harmonized investment planning with PWD and VIRIP to complete the upgrade of roads.

Budget commitments were Vt 28,949,748 from PWD with the outputs of 890m of concrete pavement, VIRIP with Vt 77,379,299 and output of 800m concrete pavement, and R4D with the total investment of Vt 53,975,574 and outputs of 1,535m.  PWD invested in the steel reinforced concrete pavement in 2018 and Fibre reinforced concrete pavement in 2019. The R4D and R4D2 invested in the steel reinforced concrete pavement in 2017 and Fibre reinforced concrete pavement in 2020. VIRIP invested in the fibre reinforced concrete pavement. Total meters of road upgraded was 3,225m with investment from R4D and R4D2, PWD and VIRIP.

Apart from funding support, R4D provided capacity development support to the PWD divisional staff, individual consultants, site inspectors, engineers, and local contractors. Ms Lina, Shefa Site Inspector said, “The capacity development provided, and the advice were very appropriate. I have applied the skills and knowledge I learnt from R4D2 team to the Small-Scale Contractor’s (SSCs) who have been engaged by R4D2. I am able to supervise and provide advice to the SCC at the work site as they completed the road works.”

As a result of the R4D2’s coordinated planning and facilitation, out of 119.6 km of declared road in the island of Epi, 46.98 km of roads are now made passable. The passable road is from Lamen Bay to Valesdir section (31.15 km) and Vaimali to Moriu Section (15.83 km). With these road improvements in Epi, out of 6,278 population in the island, 4,393 now have basic road access. Rural Accessibility Index (RAI) increased from 0% in 2014 to 70% in 2020.