The Malawi Engineering Institution (MEI) says most of the country’s major roads have exceeded their design lifespans and require large-scale rehabilitation.
MEI chief executive officer Arthur Wengawenga said in an interview on Thursday that continuous assessment of the country’s road network shows that while some new roads such as the six-lane Saulos Klaus Chilima Highway in Lilogwe have been completed over the past two years, several roads which were in better condition have deteriorated significantly.
He cited the Liwonde-Zomba, Mangochi-Monkey Bay, Golomoti-Monkey Bay, Mchinji-Lilongwe and the Balaka-Salima section of the M5 as roads that are now past their lifespan.
“Such roads are due for major rehabilitation works like the one happening on the M1. That’s the kind of rehabilitation that is required for most of our roads following the end of their lifespans,” said Wengawenga.
The M1 rehabilitation project launched in 2022, covers about 301 kilometres (km) from Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) Turn-off in Lilongwe to Chiweta in Rumphi.
Wengawenga said timely maintenance and proper catchment area management are critical to prevent roads from deteriorating but noted that this requires increased funding and collaboration among stakeholders.
Truck Drivers Union of Malawi vice-president Francis Mkandawire also expressed concern over the condition of roads, saying the poor state leads to preventable breakdowns, disrupts business operations and poses safety risks to road users.
Roads Authority has since acknowledged the assessment, stating that a significant portion of the primary road network was constructed over 20 years ago and many sections have reached or exceeded their design life.
In an interview, RA chief executive officer Engineer Ammiel Champiti said the authority is addressing this challenge through a phased approach focusing on design readiness, procurement processes and funding mobilization.
For the 47km section of the M3 from Liwonde to Matawale in Zomba, he said the authority has received approval from the World Bank to proceed with the award of the construction contract, meaning rehabilitation works are imminent.
Champiti said procurement processes are currently underway under a design and rehabilitate arrangement for the Mangochi-Monkey Bay and Golomoti-Monkey Bay roads while rehabilitation design for Mchinji-Lilongwe Road has been completed with tendering process awaiting funding.
In the 2025/26 financial year, the RA was allocated K287 billion while donor and locally-funded road projects are estimated at K201 billion.
