Investigations have been launched into the safety of the newly constructed flyover bridge on Alick Nkhata road in Lusaka’s Longacres area.
The Engineering Institute of Zambia (EIZ) has constituted a team of engineers to undertake the investigations, following public outcry.
EIZ President, Eugine Hazele says the investigations have started adding that all stakeholders involved in the construction of the bridge have been written to.
Mr. Hazele said EIZ will also engage the public people to look into the safety of the flyover bridge, which is now operational.
He said at a media briefing in Lusaka yesterday that a comprehensive report on the safety of the bridge will be issued once the investigations are concluded.
We are not a serious nation. Some many things going wrong right now and we can’t come together as a nation to control things. If its true something is wrong with this bridge where were the engineers to inspect the construction of this bridge before it was finished. Money has been spent already and I hope nothing is damn wrong with this bridge otherwise someone should for sure be held accountable for this mess.
Doing the right thing reactionally.
Typical of vocal Zambians.
The EIZ should have endorsed the construction of the bridge before now. They would be defending it now.
A professional that is supposed to be proactive has taken a back bench and is now acting like a post construction inspectorate.
While I laud the bridge engineering, I do support the EIZ approach to Engineering engagement in Zambia.
Can the entire EIZ top guys pave way for a more serious office holders please. Guys ready to get dirty.
So Minister and PS from the same ministry issuing contradictory statements about the bridge within 24 hours, is that also classified as fake news from HH? Just asking…
It is very clear that the PF govt officials started using weed before it was legalized. The question os who is soothing the strongest variant? PS Chomba, Minister Banda or State House. Chomba was clearly high in that DeadNBC clip
There’s a customer, or sorry client here, the contractor , consultants and the project manager. All these except the client are engineers and members of the EIZ. So how did things go wrong if they did? Wht sort of structure did the client agree with the contractor to build? I will keep my eyes and ears open. The “insultant” immediate former EIZ president was in office whn this happened. Where was his executive?
@ 1.2 @Ahead, I was also about to ask the same question for a friend…
@1. Mwiponta Mukabwela
Long time Mr Mwiponta where have you been hiding all these years….
Unfortunately in Zambia everything is a joke…nothing is taken serious and even the same investigations will yield very corrupt and biased finding….brown envelopes will exchange hands and the bridge will be deemed very safe….and 5 years down the road it collapses….Zambia the real Africa
Most Zambian engineers I have spoken to have said It’s a waste of time inspecting the bridge. We all know there’s no danger of sick concrete syndrome in this structure. Just ask Sydney Matamwandi. This is just small p s syndrome. Yes I m talking about small permanent secretary Chomba
Where was EIZ all this while?
Apart from measuring the sizes of the manhoods of their colleagues in Economic Association of Zambia, I don’t know what else EIZ does.
Someone please educate me.
They enjoy conferences sit back and chew membership contributions.
It’s possible that we have half baked Engineering characters at EIZ who don’t know what they are supposed to be doing. Perhaps their constitution is wrong. Don’t get me wrong the initiative by the builders of the bridge was timely but lets aim for quality going forward.
Zambia needs this.
It’s just not working. Medics are being engaged by courts and lawyers to measure diameters of things so they can sentence people to ridiculous prison terms; institutions are trading dildo size as they try to outdo each other at nothingness… all the while structures and policies are in shambles. Soon we will have uncontrolled collapses of things at the rate we are going ka? Get seeerious people!!! I scream!!!
get international structural engineers to
come and give an indeoendant report as
local engineers can have fear to disclose
any abnormality.
Can we also have an investigation or enquiry into the decay of Zambia journalism? From DeadNBC to LT telling us that the EIZ will also engage the public people
You fellow BA.eng says it meets international standards and it’s designed to “reduce” speed in the meantime a “bishop “ has decided to demolish the bridge he hasn’t engaged you the supposedly experts
Me I think someone ana dyapo, e.g. by reducing the length so making it steep.
Now rather than demolish and lose money why not turn it into a money spinning international arena for extreme driving shows?
Or let’s just turn it into a museum and we put Mukula Nkoloso’s rocket on the center and market it to tourists as Zambian engineers dreams of the 4th industrial revolution.
Where were you all this time you id.ots. That bridge is sound and safe dont waste our time. Money has already been spent and you want to show presence now. Which public outcry are you talking about. Just one wataa guy and for you thats public outcry.
Yes also mentioned that in my previous posts the bridge is too steep. It could have been better if it was gradual and not to take a motorist by surprise the way one drives on it. I agree @4
Disaster!!!!
Why investigate? Can the president and his motorcade trial this structure by driving on it at 200km per hour. Ensure Lungu has no seat belt
Investigation? Which Act mandates your association to conduct investigations. You said you will engage what you call “public people”. For sure I know the installation benefits society but ordinary people can’t determine the structural strength of the bridge. I suggest you engage a reputable firm to conduct independent evaluation. The contradictory statements from same ministry is polarizing. Perhaps, hypothetically we are safe to trust Chomba for now.
every construction project has a blueprint, which should be evaluated by the authorities..even church buildings in rural areas, councils approve the structures.. so??/
Apart from investigating the safety issues around this bridge (very large speed hump) we also need to understand the justification of constructing it in the first place, why was a simple round about or traffic lights not appropriate?
Kwena ifi fyena fya bupuba mwe! Of course I am outraged – what does it sound like!? So while the horses are galloping all over the place that is when you are closing the gate to a fenceless stable huh? A few years from now the resulting tragedy from that contraption will become a campaign strategy for some clueless and increasingly kakocratic regime. Iyoo tucili tule piba bane…
LT in your reporting , can’t you include video of the drive over the bridge ???
@Spaka, it is hectic. There was a video clip showing very erratic jolts especially as the cars scaled the crest (yea, it is that steep). Then at the tail-end another potentially bumper-dislocating, shock-absorber testing landing. Soon this will become another 48-house-scandal at the rate it is going. It is not funny at all. Oh wait! It is funny actually! EIZ is coming in to investigate, PS is being disowned… Mukula is advocating speed limits on behalf of RTSA… it just doesn’t stop.
An overpass (called an overbridge or flyover in the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth countries) is a bridge, road, railway or similar structure that crosses over another road or railway. An overpass and underpass together form a grade separation. Stack interchanges are made up of many overpasses.
Now that structure at Alick Nkhata does NOT fly over another road, a railway line or a canal. Why then are we wronglt referrig to it as a fly over bridge when in fact it is not? EAZ start with definitions first.
Good point @Ulubunda, why flyover, when there is nothing “significant” being flown over?? Not only wrong definition but also raises serious questions about justification for constructing the bridge
Chomba cant say anything he has fake qualifications. That is a sign of a very uncoordinated government, short of saying dysfunctional. There is no difference between fake qualifications holder Chomba and no qualifications Bowman. Behaviour same same or draw draw. Just yapping and yapping carelessly
Okay we wait for your report ..but where were you when the plan of the bridge was being done, when the construction started up to the finishing point. Guys, be serious you are wasting our time.
of late EIZ has been very reactive to so many engineering products that raise publc concern. i think EIZ must develop interest on all public projects so that when there is an issue, they will have a say right on finger tips. at times they donot have to wait for the public. they did all those hard course like Material Engineering and Engineering Mathematics not for prestige but to help pipo like us who are not engineers .
Enginners up your game
Pray: thou shalt not have a breakdown on this bridge and council must ensure enough signage in place to show one is actually approaching one big hump, lol
President Lungu, please as we go into the New Year show your leadership by dropping most of the non performing officials, they are really embarrassing you and frustrating your voters who still love you. What’s the problem kanshi? You mean you can’t see that you are giving away everything at the expense of warnings year in year out?
Malinso, your statement was okay until you said there are still some voters who love President Edgar Lungu. Are you new in this country? I will only go further if you respond, by the way I am not a UPND sympathiser.
@Malinso you are genuine!
EIZ should be proactive – Regulate. They should have applied Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) to the design. They should have determined the severity, occurrence and detection of likely failures and problems. Investigating now and finding that the bridge may not be safe would be a vote of no confidence in EIZ. The cost of failure is far higher than the cost of prevention; it may involve litigation which can open up a can of worms.