The traffic chaos, reported in an article by The Fiji Times on Monday, August 20, 1984, in Nausori was the result of an incident on the old Rewa Bridge.

The traffic jam brought road and air travellers to a standstill for more than five hours.

According to the article, the disruption occurred when a Royal Fiji Military Forces bulldozer fell off an army truck, causing a significant obstruction to commuters and affecting scheduled flights from Nausori Airport.

Eyewitnesses recounted the dramatic moment just before 1pm when the bulldozer, being transported on the army truck, encountered a bottle collector’s truck on the narrow bridge.

“The army truck moved to the left to make way for the passing vehicle but, unfortunately, the bulldozer’s blade struck a diagonal support on the bridge, leading it to slide off and land on the truck below.”

Despite the alarming nature of the incident, fortunately, no injuries were reported.

However, the aftermath left hundreds of vehicles stranded on both sides of the bridge until around 6pm that day, causing considerable inconvenience to travellers and local residents alike.

Mohammed Yunus, an employee of Western Wreckers was said to have played a pivotal role in resolving the situation.

“It took us four hours to clear the bridge,” Mr Yunus said.

“To stabilise the bulldozer, we had to start it up and lower a fork attached to its back. This fork acted as a jack, gradually lifting the bulldozer while we placed timber supports under its tracks.

“We then carefully removed the bottle collector’s truck using our tow truck.

“Next, we lowered the ramp of the army truck and successfully drove the bulldozer off the bridge onto the truck.”

Air Pacific, affected by the incident, was forced to delay five flights departing from Nausori Airport by half an hour each.

Passengers and airport employees found themselves walking to the airport amidst the traffic deadlock.

“It was a careful process,” Mr Yunus said.

“By gradually lifting and supporting the bulldozer, we were able to safely return it to the army truck.”

The army truck, transporting the bulldozer from Kasavu, Nausori, to Nabua in Suva, encountered unexpected obstacles that led to this unusual disruption.

Despite the inconvenience caused, the prompt action of rescue teams and workers ensured that normalcy returned to the area by late evening that day.