Machinjiri Road closure causes chaos

Closure of Machinjiri Road near Energem Filling Station in Blantyre has caused chaos as vehicles are unable to pass through, resulting in traffic congestion.

The road was closed on Friday morning so as to install new armcore culverts replacing the old ones that were run-down.

The situation has affected companies that operate from the Chirimba Industrial Site as well as residents of the township.

Trucks and other motor vehicles are unable to pass through; hence are forced to divert to Limbe while minibus travellers are being forced to disembark from one minibus to another at the maintenance point.

A visit to the site by The Nation found a fleet of tankers stranded as workers installed the culverts.

One of the companies that has been affected by the closure is Zagaf Transport and its operations manager Mabvuto Missi said: “We have been greatly inconvenienced as we are spending a lot of money on extra fuel to pass through Limbe just to get to our premises.

“Among other things, we are involved in the transportation of fuel, fertiliser and cement and our business has been disrupted. The authorities were supposed to create a diversion to ease the congestion, otherwise the diversion that is there is not helping matters as it has also been blocked.”

A resident of the area, Samson Kasomekera, said he was forced to park his vehicle at the filling station on Sunday as he could not drive through.

“We do not even know when the repairs will be completed and as a result I have failed to drive my sick mother to the hospital,” he said.

However, the company that has been contracted to install the culverts, G & C, said they were hopeful that the work would be completed by today.