By SYLVESTER MWALE –

in Sesheke
THE Road Development Agency (RDA) says the 97-kilometer stretch which was left out during the recent periodic maintenance of the Livingstone-Sesheke Road in Southern Province will be worked on before the rainy season.
About 97 out of the 212 kilometers of the Livingstone-Sesheke Road was left out in the periodic rehabilitation by Gomes Haulage to allow further investigations because of the high frequency in which it got damaged after getting a facelift.
RDA Southern Province regional manager Lawrence Mundia told journalists in Sesheke that the investigations had been concluded and the tendering process would soon be concluded to allow the commencement of the works before the rainy season.
“The detailed investigations are through and a preliminary design report has been submitted and we expect that the tender process should be concluded and works should commence before the end of the year,” he said.
Mr Mundia said Ng’andu Consulting Limited the company supervising the contractor was the one that had carried out the assessment.
He also revealed that the contractor was however patching up the potholes on the stretch every time they appear as the agency awaited the commencement of the works later this year.
Gomes Haulage project manager Richard Kasongo said the investigations had revealed that floods experienced in the area during the rainy season had weakened the road.
“This area traverses in the dambo area where it gets flooded and because of that, there is capillary action so the pavement gets deformed so easily.
“The design that we have come up with incorporates more improvement in the drainage so that we do not hold water on the upstream side for a long period of time. The pavement should have a system that allows water to move from the highest point to the lowest point,” he said.
Meanwhile, the first ever cantilever bridge in Zambia which is being built across the Zambezi River in Sioma district in Western Province is on course for commissioning in February next year as scheduled.
The suspended 252 meter long structure on the Senenga-Sesheke Road which started in May 2013 is being built by China Henan at a cost of K108.2 million.
RDA public relations senior manager Loyce Saili said the overall progress on the construction currently stood at 70 percent.
Ms Saili who expressed happiness at the progress made, said the bridge which is being supervised by EG Petit and Peters, has a great importance to the country as it connect Sothern Province with Western.