By DELPHINE ZULU  –

THE Road Development Agency (RDA) has signed a K13,761, 815.44 contract awarded to BCHOD Consulting Engineers to do periodic maintenance works on the Solwezi-Mwinilunga road in North-Western Province.
The contract for the periodic maintenance works would cover a distance of 288.4 kilometres and includes the reconstruction of selected sections.
RDA chief executive officer (CEO) Bernard Chiwala said the agency had embarked on such detailed works coupled with other projects under the Link-Zambia 8000 in order to open up the country.
Mr Chiwala said the principle objective of the contract was to provide the necessary periodic maintenance supervision with a view of achieving an appropriate holding maintenance of the road surface awaiting comprehensive rehabilitation.
He said the RDA was in the process of designing a detailed road plan from Southern Province via Landless corner to link Copperbelt Province without passing through Kafue road.
“As RDA we have established that the country needs more openings. Apart from the Solwezi-Mwinilunga road, currently we are designing a road from Mazabuka to pass through Landless corner to connect to the Copperbelt without passing through Lusaka,” Mr Chiwala said.
Mr Chiwala said other works include pothole patching, shoulder construction, double surface dressing application, drainage structures and auxiliary road works.
It also included provision of technical and financial supervision to ensure that works were carried out in accordance with the contract specifications and to the satisfaction of the implementing
agency.
Mr Chiwala also said the major challenge on works on the L400 and the Link 8000 had been the compensation for the diverted designs especially to Zesco and water utilities saying the RDA had now put them on board to avoid facing similar challenges in future.
BCHOD Consultant, George Sitali said his organisation would ensure that it maintains quality performance because the company does not want to be associated with shoddy works.
“We shall not do any shoddy works as we do not want to be associated with it, it is very expensive and drains government coffers as the road will be required to be worked on again at the expense of other
roads,” Mr Sitali said.
Mr Sitali said BCHOD would ensure that it followed the required specifications and technical advice provided.