Kazungula bridge behind schedule

The construction of the multi-million Pula Kazungula Bridge across the Zambezi river that started with the laying of a temporary bridge over three months ago is behind schedule, Business Trends learnt recently. 

Ministry of Transport and Communications’ Permanent Secretary, Neil Fitt said the contractor is behind schedule with only a couple of months. “The site offices, staff houses are behind schedule with three months. However, critical parts are the items of the bridge.

The work on the temporary bridge delayed over the delivery of the cranes to the site. We are expecting another set of equipment to come in soon. There are no additional costs that the government will incur in these delays,” Neil clarified. Although the original site started in the Zambian side over three months ago, the ministry’s most senior technocrat indicated that Botswana site was expected to start this week.

Fitt’s political boss, minister Tshenolo Mabeo told this publication that, “the contractor has since put up a catch up plan to ensure that progress is put back on trail. It shows the contractor will be able to catch-up by June/July 2016. He will be able to reach the target indicated in the original programming.” What is behind schedule, Mabeo said was mainly the construction of the staff houses. The minister said the temporary bridge is to facilitate trade between countries before the construction of the main bridge.

The Kazungula Bridge is aimed at facilitating effective trade between Botswana and other Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries through reduced transit time for freight and passengers. The bridge is being undertaken by Zambia and Botswana with financial assistance from Japan International Co-operation Agency and the African Development Bank.

The contractor, Daewoo Engineering and Construction of South Korea is already on site and has employed about 300 workers from both Zambia and Botswana. The project is expected to take four years to complete. The bridge is being constructed at a cost of about P1,4 billion.