Road networks total 295 km of which 70% are sealed.

Rarotonga has a sealed road around the entire island and as generally the population has tended to build close to the road, most households are easily accessed. Recently some high voltage electricity supply has been transferred to underground which has lessened the risk of road closures resulting from high winds felling power lines.

Increased traffic on Rarotonga together with tourist traffic, including an increase in cycling, has created the need for a substantially improved foundation and road surface. Significant factors in road damage is the lack of adequate pavement drainage and to a lesser degree control of axle weights and uncontrolled activities (such as trenching for services).There is not a lot of heavy truck traffic on the roads however the imposition of axle weight limits is under consideration.   

The service provider for maintenance is Infrastructure Cook Islands (ICI) a Government body. New road construction is tendered to the private sector. Constraints to improvement are the limited right of way (about 10m), and the minimal roadside drainage. There are no major new developments planned however there is an ongoing maintenance and upgrade program to improve  paved surfaces and better provide for pedestrian and cycle traffic.

On the Outer Islands, other than Aitutaki, most roads are unsealed, this does not present a hazard however as vehicle numbers are low on these islands. The service provider for maintenance on the outer islands is each Outer Island’s governing body (Island Council)

For more information on government contact details, please see the following link: 4.1 Government Contact List 

Distance Matrix

The road that circles the whole island, the Ara Tapu, is only 32 kms long meaning that a non-stop drive right around the island at the designated maximum speed of 40kph can take just 45/50 minutes.  

Avarua is the capital and main centre. There are no other major concentrations of population, rather an unbroken series of houses alongside the road for the entire circumference of the Island. The port is 600m from the centre of town.

For this reason the table below is barely relevant.

Travel Time Matrix

Road Security

There are no issues with road security.

Weighbridges and Axle Load Limits

There are no weighbridges in the country. There are no axle load limits. Currently the Port Authority ‘unofficially’ monitors the weight of containers as they are unloaded at the port and will refuse to load trucks with containers they consider ‘overweight’ for the roads.