K46.93 billion bridges project to ease mobility—minister

Minister of Transport and Public Works Jappie Mhango has stressed the significance of improving road infrastructure in the country to facilitate development activities.

The minister said on Wednesday when he launched construction works of nine bridges along the Chingo-Makanjira Road in Mangochi at a cost of $26.8 million (K46.93 billion) from the World Bank-funded Regional Climate Resilience Programme II (RCRP-II) that Mangochi, being a major tourism destination, has huge potential to contribute to  the country’s economic development.

Mhango said improved transport infrastructure, particularly along the 101-kilometre Mangochi-Makanjira Road, is important.

“The construction of the Mangochi-Makanjila Road will facilitate tourism, trade and transportation of agricultural produce and support the fishing industry, which has been limited in its growth and development due to the poor condition of this road,” he said.

Mhango challenged the contractor Ahhui Foreign Construction Group to complete the works within the estimated 24-month period.

Roads Authority chief executive officer Joel Longwe said the project seeks to strengthen the resilience of communities and transport infrastructure against the impacts of climate change, particularly through investments in infrastructure capable of withstanding climate-related shocks.

He said the project follows the destruction caused by Cyclone Freddy in March 2023, which severely affected the Chingo-Makanjira Road.

“We will flight an advert in the newspapers next month to solicit contractors to start constructing the Mangochi-Makanjira Road,” said Longwe.

The Mangochi-Makanjira Road upgrade is estimated to cost $100 million and will be implemented in three phases with the first phase involving the construction of Litisa Bridge.

In April 2025 Parliament passed Bill Number 15 authorising government to borrow K35 billion ($20 million) from the Opec Fund for International Development to fund a 36-kilometre section. Parliament also passed Bill number 22 allowing government to secure K16. 8 billion (about $10 million) from the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development for another section of the road.

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