The Road Development Agency says it has received a report of a collapsed bridge in Mpulungu in the Northern Province on the Mpulungu to Mbala road (M2), approximately 8 kilometers from Mpulungu town at 32 kilometers from Mbala Junction.
RDA Director Communications and Corporate Affairs Public Masuzyo Ndhlovu says the Lunzua bridge approach has been washed away following flash floods being experienced in the area.
Mr. Ndhlovu said the flash floods that have taken a toll in the area are a result of the normal to above normal rains being experienced in the region.
He said the RDA technical staff have dispatched to site as the road has been completely cut off.
Mr. Ndhlovu said the Agency is doing everything possible to ensure that the flow of traffic is normalised.
He added that the road users will be advised in due course of alternative routes to use as we ascertain the immediate interventions in order to restore connectivity.
It was in Lundazi a few ago, now its Kasama, whats happening to our UNZA engineers Kanshi? Twalasebana bane!!
Badly constructed roads to accommodate bad drivers is a lethal combo.
Looking at the coating on the affected road makes one very sad.
Why does the PF embrace low quality everything????
President Lungu development in collaboration with the Chines. Dununa reverse bearing fruits. When corruption is at the helm of leadership, you expect poor quality projects commissioned by the president because balilyamo commission and do useless jobs.Sonta apo wabomba we have seen where PF has worked and I am sure they are proud to point at that bridge aa one of the biggest achievements.
Nothing to do with UNZa engineers…unless they are the ones awarding the tenders to substandard contractors for kickbacks.
To start with, the thickness/later is too thin to last. Secondly, substandard contractors were used coupled with lack of supervision and technical expertise on the part of GRZ.
In future, GRZ should award and pay contractors in piecemeal depending on quality and meeting other contractual obligations. No contractor in future should not be award more than 50 km to construct or rehabilitate a road in the first phase.
God bless Zambia.
It’s not UNZA engineers responsible. It’s the PF hired Chinese engineers responsible and Chitotela.
RDA have complained several times about these roads but each times they dared ask or complain Chitotela threatened them with dismissal because he might not get a cut if these Chinese spend more.
Everything under PF is a total mess. Most Zambian engineers like us have left the country to practice in countries which respect the the engineering profession.
Chitotela is incharge.
When are our engineers going to start taking responsibility for their designs or the designs that they approve. Others may say it was due to weather conditions but why increased collapsing of roads and bridges now???
Ghostrida, you are giving a blind eye to corruption, tell me who did this road?
Chinese and illiterate PF cadres have taken all roads projects and you expect quality????
IS IT POOR WORKMANSHIP OR THE RAINS HAVE BEEN TOO HEAVY? WERE THE ROADS CERTIFIED AS STRONG?
CHANSA , we have a Minister incharge of infrastructure he does inspect and once satisfied, he invites the president for commissioning in the company of Freedom Sikazwe and Kaizer the special assistants for such projects to the president at state house.
Who designed this structure?
Chinese roads? Pay full price with zero quality. RDA doesn’t need to worry because it was funded from our road tolls right ?
A wise man will build his house on a rocky solid expensive foundation to protect it from the upheavals of nature , while a foolish man will build his on sandy cheap chinx foundation, once the storm comes it will be swept away.Biblically analysed.
This and several other reports make very sad reading for the country especially for the engineering fraternity.
While one will appreciate the fact that the frequency of bridge collapses is attributable to heavy downpour in different parts of the country, RDA must own up and admit they have been sleeping!
Do they do routine inspections, do they recommend remedial actions? Do they even know when most of these infrastructures we have were constructed and their lifespans? So many questions!!
Workmanship is ok. The design lacks structural stability
I have seen this bridge at construction on great east rd. In cant hold forces. It basically 3m high gravel
It is a very interesting report, the contractor has been deliberately not mentioned. Apparently, the contractor doesn’t know the weather pattern of the location and the geological landscape. Kikikiki. Domino effect, wait and see. Drivers make sure you are prayerful when driving.
The bridge was not designed by contractor. At design stage a local engineer does soil tests
A local engineer got a lot of allowances for supervision.
Simply put. The design has failed and you cant blame contractor.
Consultant takes full blame because he was paid.
Why do we Zambians start commenting even before we understand the situation. This collapsed bridge had been there for more than 20 years. The Lunzua river is a FAST moving river and any overflow will do a lot of damage.
When was this Bridge Built and probably at what cost?
Things fall apart…what do you expect when these ministers have proxy construction companies that only exist on paper have no machinery yet are awarded million dollar road contracts!!
Lundazi and Kitwe Bridges blamed on Kaunda era!
Now Lunzuwa-Kasama apparently a newly tarred road is down.
So who has continued allowing KK to continue awarding bogus road contracts.
Is it by remote control?
Kumawa! Wako ni Wako at work!
I like your analysis. But then this work was done by same contractor
If you look at last photo you will notice that sub base was not stabilised.
You have retaining walls correct but the material inside retaining wall you add bit of cement to make it stable.
A contractor follows instructions from consultant
Am a non partisan political consultant.
blame it on the wing walls, now u see why they are important, Soil retaining
Bridge is still intact ,only approach slab, so easy to repair
Fact is, its Government NOT Akainde or UPND who will respond this emergency and repair the collapsed bridge. So who is in charge? Azaluza hagain hAND hagain, ndipo!
Sontapo …Sontapoooo………
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Biscuit roads
Chitotela at work. He is not corrupt after all. Its just the bridges that are collapsing due to cheap materials used because he wanted a cut big time. Well the Chinese or whoever built that road were told to inflate the prices of the contract and give the difference to powers that be. Thats a 2 million kwacha bridge – just kidding yes K2m recorded and real K600,000. What do you expect???
Just look at that thin layer of the tarmac. There is no reason why such shoddy work of a tarmac can fail to be washed away. Not at all!!!
We are in for more shock waves bane. The rain season is still on.
Disaster!!!!
Where is this bridge? Is it between Mbala and Mpulungu or between Mbala and Kasama?
I dont hear of so many bridges collapsing after heavy rainfall in China, Japan Italy, Brazil, South Africa. How come all our bridges are collapsing? Do we value industrial standards? Do we produce proper professionals in our institutions?
mediocre ENGINEERS thus why IAM in China working very well without fear or favor NO CORRUPTION
This has nothing to do with design, but the actual work itself. Someone was being very cheap here by trying to cut corners and pocketing the money resulting in a half baked bridge and road. Vey little material was used hence it could not withstand everything thrown at it. Thank God no life was lost, more needs to be done to ensure these contractors do not continue giving us subpar roads after paying them millions and perhaps billions to just to endanger our lives
For how has this road been in existance? Those from Kasama and Mpulungu tell educate us. I see poor quality of work was done on this road or the road just worn out after so many years of been used.
The bridge has been in existence for more than forty years.You can take up comments from there.
Corruption at Work!! With the kind of corruption in Zambia even pigs will fly!
This is what happens when you leave Chitotela in charge of building projects in the nation and the lazy man evades responsibility .
Please note that the concrete bridge has not COLLAPSED. IT IS STILL INTACT. What has been washed away is the earth embankment probably due to the flood waters flowing on top of the embankment because the opening in the bridge could not pass ALL THe FLOOD WATERS which is an indication of an inadequate capacity to handle the water.