Work continues in the Takuvaine stream with the placing and construction of gabion wired basket cages filled with rocks that helps prevent erosion, retain a slope and fortify the banks.

Gabions are simple wall assemblies which are used in civil engineering, road building and landscaping – it is an ancient technology used to help control potential erosion.

In the past extreme floods in Rarotonga, the Takuvaine stream had breached its banks flooding the nearby buildings alongside the Empire Cinema.

Since the completion of the $5 million replacement of the Empire bridge in May this year, the Takuvaine stream did not break the banks during heavy downpour and flood water continued under the bridge into Avarua harbour.

The construction of the new bridge by Landholdings Limited got underway in August 2021.

The original bridge was constructed in the 1920s by the Government of New Zealand, only the bridge deck was replaced by the Ministry of Works in the 1980s.