By CHILA NAMAIKO?-
THE Government is scaling up various development projects in Southern Province with the latest being the awarding of a K230 million contract for upgrading the Monze-Niko Road.
The 73-kilometre road project, which will be upgraded to bituminous standard, is expected to be flagged off on September 20, this year.
Monze District Commissioner Biggie Mwiinde, who confirmed the development, also said the Government had awarded BSK Construction Limited a K97 million contract to tar 15 kilometres of selected urban roads in Monze.
Mr Mwiinde said in an interview that the Government awarded a joint contract to BuildCon Zambia Limited and Unikjve Construction to tar the Monze-Niko Road from its current gravel state.
‘‘The Government is carrying out infrastructure developments in Monze, and upgrading of Monze-Niko Road will cost K229,969,699.96, while 15 kilometres of selected township roads in Monze will cost a total of K96,908,966.55,’’ Mr Mwiinde said.
He said contractors working on the Monze-Niko Road were currently making a temporary road to be used by motorists during the upgrading of the main road.
Mr Mwiinde said the contractors had already worked on a stretch of 35 kilometres of the temporary road from Monze-Niko Road main junction to Lubiya Dam in Chieftainess Choongo’s area.
He said the tarring of the Monze-Niko Road, which passes through Bweengwa Constituency up to Niko junction connecting to Namwala Road, would be the first since independence.
Mr Mwiinde said once the Monze-Niko Road was tarred, it would reduce long distances people covered from Namwala to Choma enroute to Lusaka due to the current poor state of the road.
He said the road would ease the transportation of agricultural products and access to Lochnivar National Park located on the southern side of the Kafue River, about 45 kilometres from Monze town.
On the township roads, Mr Mwiinde said BSK Construction Limited had already started upgrading 15 kilometres of selected urban roads in Monze.
Mr Mwiinde said the contractor was currently tarring the President’s Avenue and Independence Road for which 80 per cent of the works had been done.
Other roads are Lweengu, and Fair which connects to the Monze golf course, Kwacha and Sinaluchaba streets which would cover Monze main market.?Mr Mwiinde said the township road project would be completed before January next year, which signified the Government’s commitment to improving people’s lives through job creation and provision of social services.