The long-awaited Fangaʻuta Lagoon bridge has been delayed by unresolved land disputes at ʻUmukisia, forcing the government to pay millions of paʻanga in penalty fees to McConnell Dowell Constructors Ltd while the project remains stalled.
As previously reported by Kaniva News, the former government of Prime Minister ʻAisake Eke signed the civil works contract worth approximately US$55 million with McConnell Dowell Constructors Ltd in September 2025.
The project involves the construction of a 720-metre bridge across Fangaʻuta Lagoon, together with 2.1 kilometres of approach roads designed to withstand the impacts of climate change and severe weather events.
At the time of the contract signing, construction was expected to begin the following month, October 2025, and take approximately three years to complete, with the bridge scheduled to open by the end of 2028.
Dispute Stalls Construction
However, construction has yet to begin because lease and compensation disputes involving land at ʻUmukisia, where the bridge is expected to commence on its northern side, remain unresolved, Infrastructure Minister Sēmisi Sika told Kaniva News.
He said the southern end of the bridge at Folaha was ready, with no unresolved issues affecting that side of the project.
Sika said Prime Minister Lord Fakafanua, whose estate includes the disputed ʻUmukisia land, had recently indicated that the issue could be resolved by adjusting the bridge’s proposed starting point at ʻUmukisia.
Sika questioned why previous governments had proceeded with the construction contract without first ensuring that all land issues had been resolved.
Millions Lost To Delays
As a result, the government has incurred substantial financial penalties due to the prolonged delay. Sika said the government paid about $7 million in penalty fees during the six months from October to March.
With the land issues still unresolved and construction yet to begin, the government is expected to incur a further $7 million in penalties over the following six months, through to August, bringing the total cost to up to $14 million.
Sika said the arrangement reflects a standard contractual provision commonly included in major infrastructure projects.
“If the delay is caused by the contractor, the company pays us. If the delay is caused by us, we pay the company,” he said in Tongan.
“The Folaha side is ready, but construction cannot begin until the issues surrounding the ʻUmukisia land are resolved.”
The Government is responsible for managing early works and preliminary stages of the project, while funding arrangements involving the Asian Development Bank (ADB), including grant approvals and effectiveness processes, were expected to follow.
The bridge is expected to provide a major new transport link between eastern villages and Nukuʻalofa, reducing pressure on Taufaʻahau main road and helping to ease chronic traffic congestion on the main eastern approach to the capital.
However, until the outstanding land and compensation disputes at ʻUmukisia are settled, construction cannot proceed, leaving the project on hold and increasing costs to the government.
