SUVA - Villagers along the Hibiscus Highway in Savusavu of Fiji's Northern Island now have a reason to smile after the ground breaking ceremony of a Chinese-built new road on Saturday.

Ministry of Transport spokesperson Sainiana Radrodro told media that the ground breaking ceremony was a very important event for the villagers and it meant that they now have a link to the market for the farm produce.

The project, which is being carried out by China Railway First Group, is expected to be completed by 2014 at a cost of 55 million Fiji dollars ($30 million), according to the official.

It is not the first time for the China Railway First Group to help building roads in the island nation. In January, Fiji's Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama officiated at the ground breaking of the group's another road and bridge project at Wainibuka in Tailevu Province on Viti Levu the main island.

The ground breaking celebration was for the start of construction of the Naqia and Balekinaga bridges and a nine kilometers road from the Wailotua to Nayavu stretch in the Kings Road. The entire project is funded by the Asian Development Bank at a cost of more than 22 million Fiji dollars (some $11.9 million).

The Wailotua road work will be completed by the end of 2011. Local villagers have expressed appreciation to the Chinese as the road would improve access to market as most of them are farmers and rely on food crops and vegetables sold in urban centres to sustain.

The Bainimarama Government is focused on improving capital projects in rural areas as it hopes this would alleviate poverty in the island nation.