The Times of Zambia (Ndola)
26 October 2009
THE Road Development Agency (RDA) is exploring ways of coming up with at least two alternative routes to link Mongu to Kalabo in Western Province.
This is because of the high cost of doing the current Mongu-Kalabo Road.
A detailed engineering design by a consultant estimated that the project of working on the road would cost K1.4 trillion.
In a statement in Lusaka yesterday, RDA head of public relations, Loyce Saili said the purpose of exploring alternative routes was to come up with the most technically feasible and economic link.
"In view of the huge construction cost of the project, stakeholders in Mongu have raised concerns that alternative routes may accrue substantial savings on the project.
"In order to address this concern, RDA intends to immediately carry out a further feasibility study into the viability of constructing an all-weather road linking Mongu through Kalabo by exploring at least two additional routes apart from the route from Mongu to Lealui to Kalabo," Ms Saili said.
She said in March 2008, the RDA went out to tender for the construction of the Mongu-Kalabo Road and only two bids were received at K1.0 trillion and K686 billion.
One of the two bids was deemed non-responsive and thus rejected.
Ms Saili said the only responsive bid was found to be too high.
The RDA entered into negotiations with the contractor but the negotiations failed because the contractor was not willing to reduce the price to within the engineer's cost estimates of K710 billion and the tender was annulled.
"As a follow-up, a detailed engineering design was commissioned and has since been completed by Messer's Rankin Engineering Consultants.
"The Consultant estimated that the project will cost between K1 trillion to K 1.4 trillion," Ms Saili said.
She said the Government wanted to complete the construction of the abandoned Mongu-Tapo road, as it would enable the connection of the provincial capital to Kalabo District.
"Further, it is the intention of Government to connect Zambia to Angola through Kalabo. This will ease movement of goods and services and enhance economic development in the sub-region.
"In the year 2005/2006, Zambia received above normal rain that affected the section of the road under construction in the Zambezi floodplain between Mongu and Kalabo. Most of the drainage structures were washed away and the project could thus not be completed," she said.
Ms Saili said to ascertain why the road embankment was breached and washed away, the Government engaged the services of Messrs DIWI Consultants to carry out the necessary site investigations.
After the investigations, it was deemed necessary to include a number of lightweight steel relief bridges to increase the cross-drainage capacity of the proposed embankment in the Zambezi floodplain between Mongu and Kalabo.
In 2007, the Government set aside money to buy 40 bailey bridges.
A tender to supply and deliver 40 bailey bridges to Mongu was awarded in 2007 at a cost of US$ 13,158,945.00 and the bridge components were delivered to Mongu and are stored at the former CCC camp.
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