RA assures of M1 Road strength in Chikwawa
As heavy rains continue to damage roads in the country, the Roads Authority (RA) has assured people of Chikwawa that the M1 Road in the district is strong enough to withstand the rains or floods.
RA chief executive officer Trevor Hiwa said this in an interview when officials from the authority visited Chikwawa after receiving reports that there has been flooding in the Lower Shire Valley district and that some people started cutting the road to provide drainage for the water just after Nchalo Trading Centre.
Said Hiwa: “Though the rains were quite extensive in the Lower Shire, our roads and bridges have done their best and none has been washed away with the rains except that some people resorted to cutting the road to create a way for the water to the other side of the road and we condemn this behaviour.”
He said the authority has appreciated the levels of damage caused by the people and it will make sure a contractor is sent on the ground to repair the damaged spot before it becomes wide.
Commenting on the strength of Kamuzu Bridge as water levels in Shire River continue to rise, Hiwa said the bridge is strong and nothing is wrong to warrant its rehabilitation or cause fear to people only that expansion joints are too wide and a contractor will come to close them.
Chikwawa and its twin Shire Valley district of Nsanje is experiencing floods that have affected over 20 000 individuals and on Wednesday, the flood levels were so high that Bereu Bridge was covered up in water, prompting people to report to RA that the bridge has been washed away.
