Govt rehabilitates Kitwe urban roads

——Government has flagged off the rehabilitation and upgrading of urban roads in Kitwe district on the Copperbelt Province at a cost of KR 367.6 million.

A total of 21 roads with an overall stretch of 58.15 km have been selected for rehabilitation and will be worked on by China Geo Engineering Corporation and China Henan International Corporation.

The roads have been divided into two slots of 20 kilometres and 38.13 kilometres respectively.

The Ministry of Local Government and Housing has engaged Ng’andu Consulting as a consultant for the 20 km slot at a cost of KR 118.3 million whose construction works will be undertaken by China Geo-Engineering Corporation.

The 38.13 Kilometre slot has been given to Rankin Engineering Consultant at a cost of KR 249.3 and the works will be done by China Henan International Corporation.

And Local Government and Housing Minister, Emerlyne Kabanshi, who flagged off the works in Kitwe today, warned the contractors against shoddy works.

Ms Kabanshi said government will not give completion certificates to contractors who will not do a good job.

She also urged the two consultants for the project to design road works to the required and approved engineering standards and to supervise the contractors to ensure that they adhere to the engineering design and specifications.

The minister further directed the contractors to employ local people with preference to women and youth as they account for the bulk of the poor and unemployed.

Ms Kabanshi said government decided to work on the urban roads in Kitwe because they had deteriorated to unacceptable levels.

She noted that the rehabilitation and upgrading of the selected 21 urban roads will promote trade and economic development of the country.

She added that over 1000 jobs will be created during these road works.

The roads to be worked on under the project include Government road, the road leading to the Presidential Lodge, Boma Street and Twatasha Race course among others.

And speaking earlier, Kitwe Mayor, Chileshe Bweupe, thanked government for considering the roads in Kitwe, noting that the city had been neglected in terms infrastructural development in the past few years.

Mr Bweupe said the people of Kitwe have driven on dilapidated roads for a long time and as such the roads rehabilitation works will go a long way in improving their livelihood.

He also appealed to government to include Kitwe in the 2013 work plan.