Floods cost road sector K26 billion
A post-disaster needs assessment in transport sector has revealed that the road transport sector requires about $50 million (about K26 billion) for recovery and reconstruction of damaged roads, government said yesterday.
Speaking at a news conference in Lilongwe, Minister of Transport and Public Works Francis Kasaila said a total of 1 220 kilometres of the road network has suffered due to floods.
The minister said out of the 1 220-kilometre road network affected, 876 kilometres have been partially damaged while 344 kilometer have been completely damaged.
He said the longer section of the road network damaged is in Chikwawa and Nsanje.
Said Kasaila: “Most of the road network damage was due to the force of run-off water aggravated by lack of vegetative cover, steep gradients, bad conditions and ageing road infrastructure.”
On bridges, the minister said a total of 185 bridges have been affected with 64 bridges partially damaged while 121 bridges have been totally damaged.
He said of the 465 culverts affected on the road infrastructure, 153 culverts are partially damaged while 321 have been severely ravaged.
The minister, thereafter informed journalists that so far government has secured $15 million (about K7 billion) from the World Bank to repair the damaged road network.
