Karonga-Songwe Border Road to be of high quality —RA
Roads Authority (RA) has assured people of Karonga District that the Karonga-Songwe Border Road currently being rehabilitated by a Chinese contractor Zhejiang Communications Construction Company Limited (ZCCC) will be of high quality.
RA Public Relations Officer, Portia Kajanga made the assurance Friday in Karonga during a public awareness campaign on different issues such as security, compensation, and health as the rehabilitation works are underway.
Kajanga’s remarks come amid fears from some people in the district that the road may be substandard since the contractor is from Republic of China.
“This road will be asphalt road. If you have been to Nkhata Bay, a road that a Germany company, Strabag, is constructing between Nkhata Bay and Mzuzu, that kind of finishing is the one we are going to have here.
“The specifications that have been agreed upon depending on the amount of money that World Bank has made available is going to ensure that the road is of good quality, durable and widened; so no need for people to get worried,” Kajanga said.
Kajanga said once completed, the road is expected to boost international trade between Malawi and Tanzania, thereby improving the living standards of people in the two countries and beyond.
Group Village Head Mwakaboko hailed the rehabilitation works saying the road had many potholes that sometimes caused road accidents.
Mwakaboko then urged his subjects to report theft of materials meant for the construction of the road.
“Usually the standard of a road becomes compromised if individuals steal or sell construction materials. I don’t want to hear such stories in my area,” he said.
The 45.6-kilometre road is being rehabilitated with financial support from the World Bank to the tune of US$20.3 million (over K14.6 billion) and is expected to be completed in February 2019.
The road is expected to have four lanes for vehicles and besides that it will also have a lane for cyclists and a pavement for pedestrians.
Minister of Transport and Public Works, Jappie Mhango launched the construction of the Karonga-Songwe border road in December 2017
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I can predict that out of the MK14.6 billion approximately MK3 billion will be syphoned out from the contractor somehow. The contractor will fund the “facilitation fee” via their margins. Its called tender financing. Until this culture is stopped by the Head of State, Malawi will continue being home to substandard infrastructure.
Please consider the other side of business boom. The road from Chitipa to the border with Tanzania at Mbirima is very crucial as it connect Chitipa and Tunduma in Tanzania. Tanzania hasstarted building a tarmac road on their side up to the Border, we need to pick it up and level the ground. Those who know the place will agree with me that this road will indeed be an economy booster.
Give the people there the state of art airport which will change the appearance of the district and the country as a whole
ALL OUR NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES ARE FAR MUCH BETTER IN TERMS OF DEVELOPMENT’S
WHAT’S WRONG WITH THIS
COUNTRY ??
JUST SHARING /STEALING MONEY’S LIKE NOBODY’S BUSINESS !
GOD IS WATCHING
YOU WILL LEAVE THOSE MONEY’S AND MANSIONS AND
SUFFER IN HELL