A new road linking Lilongwe’s Areas 47 and 49 is expected to ease congestion, shorten journeys to the City Centre and reduce economic losses caused by traffic delays.
The 12-month project involves constructing a Bailey bridge across the Lingadzi River and 800 metres of bitumen road connecting to Presidential Way near Bingu National Stadium. It is part of a K15 billion package for three infrastructure projects being implemented through Lilongwe City Council.
The other projects involve improvements to Presidential Way towards the City Centre by Malawi Defence Force Engineering Construction Company Limited (MDF-ECCL) and upgrading a separate 1.5-kilometre road linking Area 47 to Chibuku Products to bitumen standard.
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony yesterday, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Ben Malunga Phiri said congestion was undermining economic activity in the capital.
“A lot of people now reside in Area 25 and Area 49 and for a long time they have had challenges to get to town,” he said.
Phiri said the new link would provide an alternative route towards Crossroads and the city centre, reducing reliance on existing roads.
“One does not have to go all the way to the Saulos Chilima Highway; they will as well use this link and connect themselves to Crossroads and the City Centre,” he said.
He stressed the need for quality construction, noting that road projects rely heavily on public resources, including fuel levies, and must deliver value for money.
walk at the project site. | Wycliffe Njiragoma
“The new road will be constructed to a high-volume rather than low-volume standard. As government, we believe that quality always comes with value and that value must be monitored to make sure that it is not accompanied or associated with corruption,” he said.
Phiri also challenged private contractors to improve their financial discipline, saying the MDF engineering company’s involvement could strengthen project management and competition in the construction industry.
Asked about delays affecting other road projects in Lilongwe, he declined to provide specific completion dates for projects outside his ministry’s mandate. He said, however, that government was working to ensure projects were completed within agreed timelines and budgets.
For years, residents, including learners from Areas 47, 49, 25 and surrounding locations, have relied on a makeshift footbridge about 50 metres long to cross the Lingadzi River.
Lilongwe City Council chief executive officer Clement Stambuli pledged that the allocated resources would be managed responsibly and transparently.
He said the partnership with MDF-ECCL was intended to address the capital’s infrastructure challenges, arguing that its road network and other public facilities fell short of what was expected of a capital city.
“Lilongwe is the capital of Malawi, but the situation which we are having does not befit the capital status. We hope that this partnership will extend beyond the current project to road repairs, including pothole maintenance, and the development of other infrastructure,” Stambuli said.
He urged the contractor to adhere to agreed costs, technical specifications and delivery timelines, saying the project must meet value-for-money, safety and environmental standards
