2 June 2011
REHABILITATION of some roads in Lusaka has started with contractors engaged to work on them having already moved on site.
Roads Development Agency (RDA) head of public relations Loyce Saili confirmed the commencement of the road rehabilitation in Lusaka yesterday.
And a Times team that toured some roads earmarked for rehabilitation found civil engineering staff from Teichmann Plant working on Ngwerere Road that connects areas in Kanakantapa Resettlement Scheme and Kalimba reptile farm to the Great East Road near Chelstone police camp.
Ms Saili said different contractors had moved on site and works had started.
“The contracters started work the very day that President Rupiah Banda commissioned the road rehabilitation programme of selected Lusaka Urban roads,” she said.
She said RDA was monitoring the exercise to ensure quality works were done.
The Times found two graders supported by refuelling vehicles had by yesterday been deployed on the partially-closed site to dig up, expand and level Ngwerere Road in readiness for total resurfacing.
Motorists travelling on Ngwerere Road, which also leads to the Nkoloma Stadium, were required to use only one lane which had already been levelled while earth movers and the engineers worked on the other lane.
President Banda on Saturday last week commissioned the rehabilitation works of selected Lusaka Urban roads which would cost about K300 billion.
The rehabilitation of selected roads in Lusaka would complement the works outlined in the RDA annual work plan and would be coordinated by the various road sector agencies under the Ministry of Works and Supply.
Various contractors were picked to work on the roads in Mandevu, Matero, Kanyama, University of Zambia, Northmead, Kamwala, Chipata and Woodland’s Chalala townships, among other townships.
During the launch at the weekend, President Banda said the road rehabilitation works in the selected areas would alleviate the many difficulties that motorists and other road users experienced.
The stretch of roads to be covered in Lusaka is close to 162 kilometres.
AllAfrica – All the Time