President Mutharika to launch flagship Lilongwe- Kasiya-Santhe road
President Peter Mutharika is scheduled to launch 95 km long Lilongwe Old Airport-Kwanyanda-Santhe road on Wednesday April 3 2019 according to Chief Secretary to Government Lloyd Muhara.
The project also includes the Kasiya spur which has been constructed by Portuguese conglomerate Mota-Engil.
Multinational engineering firm Mota Engil has demonstrated another top drawer delivery of a quality finish going by the specifications of the road.
The road project starts from the M12 ( the Lilongwe to Mchinji road). It extends westwards passing through Nsaru-Kabudula and Kwanyanda Trading Centres.
It joins the M18 at Santhe Trading Centre in Kasungu District.
The project involved upgrading of the existing earth road to class 1 bitumen standard.
“The works will involve widening of the road to 6.8m carriageway with 1.5m single sealed shoulders on either side of the road. The works will also involve construction of a four span bridge across the Bua river and five box culverts on other river crossings,” that’s according to official information from the Roads Authority website.
The road connects areas of high agricultural activities in the country and provides easy mobility for people and goods.
“The road gives easy access to markets for agricultural produce especially tobacco and other produce. The road will provide alternative access route to Kasungu District and beyond to those from Central and Southern part of Malawi by connecting with the M18,” Roads Authority says.
The road will further provide an alternative route into the Northern corridor via the Lilongwe West Bypass thereby decongesting the M1 road that runs from Lilongwe to Kasungu.
By providing easy mobility and accessibility, the road will greatly enhance economic activities to those areas around and beyond.
Meanwhile, along the road, an overpass is taking shape as part of the ongoing $1 billion railway rehabilitation by investor Vale Logistics.
The railway rehabilitation project runs from Nkaya, Balaka, Salima, Lilongwe and Mchinji to Chipata in Zambia facilitate that country’s import and export traffic to access the Indian ocean port of Nacala.
The contractor Mota Engil deliberately left out a 100metre stretch to work on the overpass where trains will pass underneath and vehicle will pass on top of the bridge.
The Lilongwe-Kasiya -Santhe road project has taken four years which is within it’s delivery window.
It was launched by President Mutharika in January 2015 and is financed by the Malawi Government.
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