Masauko Chipembere Highway rehabilitation on track—BCC

Blantyre City Council (BCC) has said it is monitoring Phase III of Masauko Chipembere Highway Rehabilitation Project closely and so far the works are on track.

The council, commenting on whether the road project will be completed within schedule by November end 2015, said it has not yet received a request for the extension of the rehabilitation period from the contractor.

BCC public relations manager Anthony Kasunda, responding to an e-mailed questionnaire, said motorists and other road users are cooperating and pleaded for continued patience from the citizenry as the road works are still in progress.

Said Kasunda: “The council is aware that during the implementation of projects such as Phase III of the Masauko Chipembere Highway Rehabilitation, there are a lot of inconveniences. It is for this reason that the council would like to thank all road users, business persons and residents of Blantyre for demonstrating understanding during project implementation.”

Responding to whether BCC will rehabilitate all alternative roads that will be damaged in the course of the main road’s rehabilitation due to heavy traffic, Kasunda said the council is working closely with Roads Authority (RA) and it is in the interest of the council to see that roads in the city are in good condition.

The works on Phase III of the Masauko Chipembere Highway recommenced in March this year after being delayed by rains in November last year.

The K3 billion rehabilitation and expansion project has led to the closure of some sections to pave way for works as the contractor, World Kaihatsu Kogyo Company Limited, expressed fears to the council that if the disturbances continued, the project would not be completed on time. n