Infrastructure Cook Islands has appropriated a budget of $5.9million for roadworks to be utilised mostly on improvement of the Nikao road in the current financial year, says the ministry’s secretary Elizabeth Wright-Koteka.

Wright-Koteka told Cook Islands News that the majority of the survey work for Nikao backroad is nearing completion and the public and landowners along this stretch of road would have noticed that physical marking of the road corridor has commenced from Avatiu through to Nikao. 

She said community meetings were held in March this year and they received widespread support for widening of the road. 

Elizabeth Wright-Koteka. MFAI/22120248

“However, to ensure that those people/properties specifically impacted upon have been consulted, ICI in collaboration with the Avatiu and Nikao Members of Parliament will in the coming weeks hold one on one meetings with landowners of the properties that will be impacted by the road widening,” Wright-Koteka said.

She said ICI anticipates that as soon as the legal requirements for the Declaration of the road are progressed, construction of the new road will begin. 

“$5.9 million has been appropriated in this year’s budget for road works and the majority of this will be utilised on the improvement of the Nikao road in this 2024/25 financial year.”

She said that the improvements on the remaining stretch of the Ara Tapu from Titikaveka to Arorangi will be addressed in the coming financial years. 

“The scope of ICI’s roadworks in each financial year is dependent on the budget that is appropriated to ICI for road asset management and improvement,” Wright-Koteka said.