LL interchange to cost more
The Roads Fund Administrations (RFA) is expected to cough more than it budgeted for the construction of the interchange at Area 18 Roundabout and the completion of the Area 49-Parliament dual carriageway.
In an interview on Wednesday, Roads Authority chief executive officer Engineer Emmanuel Matapa said the additional amount will be the surcharge of the extension period for the project that is expected to finish on the first of November.
On the interchange, Matapa said there are utilities such as Lilongwe Water Board pipes and Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) power poles which will need to be reallocated.
He said: “We hope there will be a K300 to K400 million extra cost because there are some services that need to be reallocated. These services are bigger as they will involve shifting pipes and poles.”
However, he did not state the exact amount to be surcharged as a result of extending the period, saying it will be determined soon by constructors Mota Engil.
In her remarks, Roads Fund Administration board chairperson Bernadette Mandoloma said the project is impressive and that the next interchange project will be funded accordingly.
She said: “We are very pleased with the progress that has been made so far. However, we are not happy that the project has delayed. We do understand they explained why the project has delayed and it is to do with the reallocation of the utilities.
“We are happy with the way they have done the roads because it provides for the motorist and non-motorised traffic, which means that cyclists and pedestrians will have their own path which is good for the safety of all road users.”
According to officials, only 14 percent of work is remaining for the dual carriageway to be completed early next month while the interchange will take seven months to complete.
