The long-awaited plan to build a second road corridor through Honiara has taken a significant step forward.

Works minister Ricky Fuo’o has announced in parliament that a feasibility study and detailed design are now being procured for the ambitious project aimed at easing the capital’s chronic traffic congestion.

“My ministry, in partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), is advancing the Honiara Alternative Road Corridor project, which would connect existing feeder roads from Lungga in the east to White River in the west,” Fuo’o told parliament

He said the ministry is currently procuring an engineering firm to undertake the feasibility study and detailed engineering design for the project.

The minister also revealed that the Government is working with ADB on the rehabilitation of the White River-Lambi Road on west Guadalcanal, a project expected to improve access beyond the capital.

“We expect to receive the engineering consultant’s reports for both projects by October this year.

“Upon receiving this report, my ministry will further look at the implementation arrangements to expedite this road project,” he said.

The announcement signals the most concrete progress yet on an alternative road network that has long featured in discussions on Honiara’s urban development, as vehicle numbers continue to rise while the city remains dependent on a single east-west arterial road.

In addition to the alternative corridor, Fuo’o outlined several major road rehabilitation projects that are expected to begin this year with funding support from the Australian Government.

Among them is the full asphalt rehabilitation of the Florence Young to Kola Ridge Road in Honiara, a route that serves several residential communities and educational institutions.

Another major upgrade will cover Hibiscus Avenue, from Town Ground to the Point Cruz Hot Bread Kitchen roundabout, one of Honiara’s busiest roads.

And under the CAUSE II project, Fuo’o said the ministry will also upgrade the Vura to Naha Clinic Road and the White River-Tasahe-Rove loop road.

He said the latter project would significantly improve connectivity between White River and Rove, providing motorists with an alternative route through western Honiara and helping to reduce pressure on the city’s main highway.

Fuo’o said the series of road projects forms part of the Government’s broader effort to modernise transport infrastructure and improve mobility in and around the capital, where daily traffic congestion has become one of Honiara’s most persistent urban challenges