THE $4.4 million project, University Avenue is now going to serve as the main entry and exit point for the University of the South Pacific.
The Tongan Minister for Education and Training, Siaosi ‘Ofa Ki Vahafolau Sovaleni said during the opening yesterday that this avenue would help ease the traffic congestion in the area as well as compliment future development along the former pony club area.
“The completed construction comprises a 300-metre concrete paved road from the Queen Elizabeth Drive to Moana Drive in front of the Faculty of Business and Economics Postgraduate Lecture Theatre,” said Mr Sovaleni.
“The new road development also includes car park spaces, landscapes, street lights and site services infrastructure (water, telecommunication, electrical) provisions.”
He said the inclusion of this infrastructure, had been carefully planned to allow for future development around the site.
“The road design is suitably wide to manage incoming and outgoing traffic better within the university with minimal effect on traffic along the main road.
“The overall cost of this project totalled $F4.4m and the new USP University Avenue is part of a much larger effort by the university to improve its physical assets,” he said.
According to Mr Sovaleni the Finance and Investment Committee had approved the budget for the construction of the new road, which was to greatly improve access to and from the university.
“The road construction works tender was awarded to China Railway First Group (Fiji) Ltd, a company that already has a reputation for good projects, buildings and roads.
“The new gate and road was designed by Wood and Jepsen Consultants, the consulting engineers of the project, who also supervised the civil works contractor and signed off on the completed works,” he said.
Mr Sovaleni said the latest development of the region’s university contributed significantly to Priority Area 5 of USP’s Strategic Plan 2019-2021 which was governance and intelligent use of resources.
He said one of the objectives under this priority area was to ensure that USP’s investment in physical infrastructure and facilities were appropriately to provide an excellent, safe and accessible environment.
“May I add that the initiatives under this priority area are to invest strategically in improvement and maintenance of USP’s estates and infrastructure, to provide enhanced accessibility and to improve the social environment of USP’s campuses.
“Today’s event, ladies and gentlemen, is testament to the fact that not only is USP’s operations in line with the Strategic Plan, but it is definitely on the right track to committing its resources, people and passion to realise a better Pacific future,” he said.
