Traffic congestions on the east side of the Apia Township have been lessened a great deal thanks to the multimillion tala Leone Bridge reopening.

The bridge was officially opened for public use yesterday morning. 

The Samoa Observer understands that the government is planning an official opening next month.

In the meantime, motorists and people living in the area are delighted that they’re able to commute freely and conveniently again using the road.

It’s something they have not been able to do since the bridge was destroyed by flooding brought by Cyclone Evan in 2012.

At the beginning of the year, the China Railway First Group (C.R.F.G) Samoa, which is responsible for the $10,915,707.48 project, announced that the bridge will be opened before June.

“Leone Bridge is a one span designed bridge consisting of eight beams (six inner beams and two outer beams) in total,” said Drummoyne Pepe Meki, Secretary of China Railway Cooperation Limited, told the Samoa Observer.

 “Each beam’s length is 26.8 meters, 1 meter width and weighs 48tons, all these beams were pre-casted by Stahlton Engineered Concrete Company in New Zealand before they were shipped to Samoa last month."

China Railway First Group (Samoa) Company Limited was contracted by Land Transport Authority to conduct the project co-funded by the World Bank.

 “C.R.F.G is known to the world through civil work skills and it recently established its branch in Samoa and are now working on their first project at Leone Bridge.” 

Yang Jun is the Project Manager with Yu Zhigianq as the deputy Project Manager.

Mr. Jun said the bridge should “last 100 years.”