Roads Authority (RA) says it has finalised a feasibility study and detailed engineering designs for the rehabilitation of the Lilongwe-Mchinji (M12) Road which connects Malawi and Zambia.
RA senior public relations officer Lawrent Kumchenga said in an interview on Saturday that the project is awaiting funding to start civil works.
He said the authority is implementing maintenance interventions on the M12 Road to address the potholes developed along the stretch and to improve safety for road users.
“On the Lilongwe side, the contractor, Artroid, is currently completing pothole patching works while on the Mchinji side, two contractors
have been engaged to carry out maintenance works,” said Kumchenga.
He said Taai Construction Company recently completed patching works on the Namitete-Kamwendo section in Mchinji while Wasi is mobilising to commence works from Kamwendo to Mwami Border in Mchinji following the completion of its assignment on the M14.
| Chrispine Msiska
However, Road Safety Alert Foundation executive director Joel Jere has asked authorities to expedite funding for construction works to commence soon.
He cited the potholes along the stretch, saying they have become dangerous as “heavy vehicles have had their wheels burst and hitting pedestrians in the process”.
A Malawian Freightliner driver John Mgala expressed his concern on how the road has narrowed, saying it has become extremely difficult to manoeuvre pedestrians, cyclists and motorists.
“We need a wide road to help heavy vehicles drive comfortably without getting worried of hitting a pedestrian or motorcyclist also travelling the same direction,” he said.
One of the farmers from Mikundi in Traditional Authority Simphasi, Luka Potiphar, said the road is a death trap due to potholes.
He, however, said the recent activities on the road to patch potholes before the initial rehabilitation have eased the problem.
The road is an important corridor for cross-border business operators from either Malawi or Zambia as it connects to Zambia’s Eastern Province through Mwami Border
