Karonga-Songwe Road ready by December
Contractors of the 46-kilometer Karonga-Songwe Road say construction is expected to be completed by December this year.
Zhejiang Communications Construction Group Company Limited (ZCCC) project manager Joe Xu said this last week when the Roads Authority (RA) board chairperson Brown Mpinganjira toured the road.
Xu said the construction will be completed six months ahead of the revised deadline of June 2019. The progress of the $24 million (about K17.6 billion) World Bank funded project is currently at 32 percent.
“We have brought in a lot of equipment in Malawi now. So, this gives us the confidence to finish the works even before actual finishing date,” he said.
Mpinganjira warned the contractor against building a substandard road.
“We don’t want roads that start getting damaged within two or three years after construction. Then it means we are not doing justice to Malawians. So, we are talking to contractors to ensure quality,” he said.
Mpinganjira said the road is important as it forms part of the North-South Corridor that connects Malawi to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.
“The improvement of the road will enhance movement of goods between Tanzania and Malawi, thereby boosting trade,” he said.
