RFA displeased with Lilongwe road works: Plem Construction did their best according contract terms
Lilongwe City Council (LCC) has said Plem Construction, a contractor of some city roads, did their best to fulfil the contract terms with the council to re-do the rehabilitation of some roads as Roads Authority Administration (RFA) expressed displeasure with quality of some of the upgraded road works.
Officials of RFA toured the road projects with Mayor of Lilongwe Desmond Bikoko and expressed displeasure with the quality of the works.
RFA board vice chairperson Mathews Chikankheni observed that some of the roads are of “poor quality” and that there is “no value for money.”
Consultants Henderson & Partners were suspended by Lilongwe city council due to shortage of funds affecting quality control, according to LCC Director of engineering Nyondo who mentioned in the tour.
He said that he would not entirely blame the contractor for poor quality, the specificarions are also to blame.
Lilongwe mayor Bikoko commended Plem Construction, the company which was building the Biwi-Chipasula -Area 23 Road, for working on the shortfalls which was observed earlier on their own costs.
“The contractor reworked the shortfalls at their own cost ,” said Bikoko.
Engineer and chairperson for Plem Construction Mohan Krishnan explained that they initially faced some challenges during the first phase of the project, which they rectified.
He said they spent on their own cost K150 million to put a new surface and the drainage system.
Krishnan said the roads the contractor worked according to the terms of the contract with LCC to surface the roads with cape seal which is of lower quality as opposed to asphalt surfacing which is of high quality.
“Unlike in Mzuzu and Blantyre City councils, in Lilongwe the works were undertaken as per the contract specifications; hence , some problems,” he said.
Mohan said if they had surfaced the roads with asphalt, they could have better roads such as the ones in Mzuzu and Blantyte.
He said slurry cannot give the smoothness of Asphalt premix layer laid using Paver machine with level sensor. I
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by the way, what is happening to the unfinished road section between Illovo and midima round abouts
WHERE ARE ENGINEERS IN ALL THIS MESS? WHAT IS MALAWI ENGINEERS BODY IN ALL THIS GUYS? WHEN ARE WE GOING TO BE SERIOUS AS A NATION?
Were the contractual terms clearly spelt out that the roads be surfaced with cape seal which is of lower quality or asphalt which is of a high quality? Before embarking on the project, the contractor should have gone to Zomba and have a look at the quality of the roads that were constructed there during the colonial era. Up to now they look in very good condition. For instance the road to National Statistics, old Parliament building and the one to Old Naisi Road just behind the Government Printer. Or he could have had a look at the quality of… Read more »
Mukumangopaka paint ya black miseu,ife tiziti mwakonza.during rainy season miseu kung’ambika basi. Cholinga mube ndalama zambiri,you people don’t love this beautiful country.cry of my beloved land.
Kodi Nseu akufuna ukhale watala? kikkkkkkkk