The Road Development Agency (RDA) says the delivery of pre-fabricated bridge components that were procured at the cost of US$ 73.7 million are expected to be completed by this month end.
RDA Communications and Corporate Affairs Director Masuzyo Ndhlovu told the media in an interview that the agency expect the last consignments of the components of the bridges will arrive in March Monthend.
Mr Ndhlovu said consignments of the pre-fabricated bridge components have been arriving in the country awaiting the time for installation once training for technical officers have been done.
He said the agency will conduct training for its technical officers and stakeholders who include officers from the Zambian National Service and Zambia Army to prepare them for installation of the bridges in designated places.
Government procured pre-fabricated bridge components to be installed on crossing points that have been washed away by heavy rains in some parts of the country.
The first consignment of the bridge components of the 131 prefabricated modular steel panel bridges that have been procured started arriving in the country in February.
Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing Permanent Secretary Engineer Charles Mushota and Road Development Agency officials received the first 8 containers carrying the components of the bridges in Lusaka West.
The project to install bridges has been planned to be implemented in seven provinces namely Northern, Muchinga, Lusaka, North Western, Luapula, Eastern and Central.
The RDA is in the process of engaging a contractor for the construction and installation of ten bridges in Eastern Province whose works will commence in the second quarter of 2019 which will be followed by the roll out of the installation to the other province.
The country has this year received torrential rains that have left some parts of the country being cut off from the rest of Zambia needing urgent response from the authority.
Oh okay you mean pre-fabricated bridges LT? Change the wrong title.
Another scandal, $73 millions for bridge drums???
This why Zambia is dressed in green T-shirts written ECO 2021.
Really laughable prefabs components costing more than a solar farm..surely what’s wrong with these thieves do they have to import everything then inflate the price..these must be just steel components which can be cut to size and ordered locally from Kafue Steel for less than $1million dollars.
And they want to engage a contractor to install $80 million dollar prefabs bridges so that’s additional money on top of that grossly inflated figure…my blood is boiling here…doing the same thing over and over again. Why not single source this contract to ZNS.
Why use prefabricated when site conditions are not the same. Every site must have its own design. Ok.
This is PF way of doing things…very reckless what is so special about those components to cost the same as normal contract works tender packages…there is no value for money here just daylight robbery
Why import when we can fabricate these in Zambia? How come the sizes are already decided for all site? Many questions, where is the mighty EIZ?
It’s very cheap locally and they can’t inflate the price…that’s why? These are heartless crooks happy to steal every little resource
This does not make any sense. Why are we allowing all this nonsense to go on?
It’s Zambia…
These are wasted years not even if all those contracts were handed to ZNS would cost 80 million…they sold the maintenance and works funds for every one of those bridges now they want to cover up with more stealing…wasted Lazy Lungu years.
This is a very suspicious transactions from the PFoools govt who are involved in these transactions, then their ka leader is talking about values and principles…. you tossers know how to mock people…. ba pompwe imwe
This whole project will cost $150 million with installation for bridges that their proxy companies did …guess what the cycle goes on again RDA will be arm twisted again to hand contracts to briefcase companies again…that’s the cost of corruption inflating everything by 300%.
They built the kariba Dam in the 50’s with locally sourced materials, but in 2019 they can’t even come close.
These are wasted years ….for components to fit in 8 containers they must be steel that will need concrete. This is a govt that talks about promoting local businesses but has just taken $80 million outside the country when they could have consulted ZNS Engineers, Kafue Steel and EIZ and spent $10 million but no no….we dont have a President in Zambia …it really pains me that someone can support this day light robbery.
You Wonder why Chitotela is still in the job …just look at that figure for components for small overpass bridges some not more than 10 metres in length…you would think Lazy Lungu would take special interest in this since he is sending that Grade 7 moron from his office Freedom Sikazwe to inspect collapsed bridges but nope….PF cadres these people are not stealling from just GRZ they are stealing from your grand children. where on earth can components cost 80 million and someone has to install them?