A portion of Maamba/Batoka road near Bampu area in Sinazongwe District, Southern Province has collapsed resulting in only small vehicles accessing the affected portion of the road.
Both Sinazongwe District Commissioner (DC) Oliver Pelete and Choma DC Lavian Apuleni confirmed the development to ZANIS.
Mr. Pelete said currently only small vehicles were passing along the damaged portion of the road.
He however noted that Maamba Collaries and Collum Coal Mine have moved on site to start repairing the damaged portion of the road.
Mr. Pelete said repair works are expected to be completed by the end of Friday.
He also said that the Road Development Agency (RDA) had been informed on the development and that they would move on site tomorrow.
Mr. Apuleni said the Maamba/Batoka road was built to cater for lighter vehicles and the transportation of coal using heavy trucks was contributing to the collapse of portions of the road.
[ ZANIS ]
Zambia chalo chesu we are used with such substandards of infrastructures.
NO. 1..Please dont be quick to criticise. The article has clearly stated that this road was built for light vehicles and not for trucks..this clearly gives the idea that the road was being abused. What happens in civil engineering projects is that every project has a grade or class assigned to it. Grade 1 or A is assigned to infrastructure that is really important for the country esp. concerning security of the country…..It doesnt make sense to overdesign a road which is used most of the time by people on foot. And that is the reason u will never hear that the Mwanawasa, Mukuku, Katimamulilo bridges hav collapsed.Its because those are Grade A projects…they are both expensive and time consuming to design.
You probably do not even know where this road is and why it is there in the first place. Maamba Colliery has been there since the 1970s and the road is the only way for transporting supplies to the mine and coal from the mine (the aerial bucketway was an innovation that did not last long). It therefore has always been for heavy goods vehicle use – just like the Solwezi – Chingola road.
First of all This is supposed to be heavy duty vehicle road considaring that thus were Zambian coal comes from why make it a light vehicle road. This is bad planning on part of the garvanment. Please raise standards.
#2 you’ve missed the point completely. This road is used by HGV’s even at the time it was being built they knew this. Therefore as #1 stated we are indeed used to substandard infrastructures, in this case as you state the grading system in design and implementation this road shoudld have been grade 1 or A. So in short this is poor planning by the so called engineers only they know the reasons why they decided on the standard of the road. There’s need to make these roads as durable as possible to avoid repasirs every single year.
In the USA, an entire road has colapsed. In the UK, an entire road is frozen and impassable. This is life!
Govt will attend to it ASAP just as they did when the bridge ends in Siavonga were washed away by heavy storms.
The “Act of God” is hard to predict and prepare for.
Ifintu filechitika, ei? The usual excuse. “Acts of God” as if he made the road in the first place!
Let the people of western and NWP brace themselves even for more rains gaoing by the systems in t6he next three days.
#2 As much as I understand your point but how can you design a bridge for light vehicles, when the road leads to a coal mine or mines? I grew up in Maamba, coal has been transported by road ever since the early 70s. Now tell me as an engineer, doesn’t it bother you that your colleague goes to design a bridge for small vehicles?
even in USA roads collapse due to natural disasters. recently a mine collapsed in Chile trapping 33 miners underground. these are natural calamities which you cant blame on poor workmanship. aeroplanes have dropped from skies and buildings have collapsed, we hear of mudslides in europe and asia killing thousands. ba opposition thats why you always be led bcos you and your leaders no appreciation and no remorse
THIS PORTION OF THE ROAD IS NOT CALLED BAMPU (BUMP) FOR NOTHING. FROM WAY BACK IN THE 70’S, IT WAS A STRETCH OF ABOUT 200M GRAVEL BECAUSE OF WATERLOGGING. BUT R.D.A. DECIDED TO PATCH IT WITH TARMAC WITHOUT ANY PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES WHEN THEY REDID THE ROAD. HALF BAKED ROAD ENGINEERS IF AT ALL THERE ANY INVOLVED!! EVEN THE REPAIRS WILL BE SHODDY!!
But what is it with this culture of ‘ukwikata umusana’ ? Almost all the males in the photo seem to be resting their arms around their waists.
#2 – the Maamba – Batoka Rd was meant for Heavy Duty Trucks (what about the coal that is being ferried day in – day out,is it carried on small cars?)
Read the Article properly before commenting.
# 5
In the USA it would take a serious storm , or flooding to was away a road while in the Uk it’s just pure danda heads running the show , the y had enough time to plan for a cold spell and snow . This is not the first time this is happening .
As for Zambia , you only need to pee on the read to wash it away .
you pipo you mean the same road every rain season!!!! come grow up and learn……..we are tired of these b…sh.!.t
Number 13, I agree with you. A lot needs to be done on this road. Every year, people from maamba are cut off from the rest of the country. Much as we agree that such catastrophes are an act of God, there is also lack of seriousness on the part of the people concerned.
This is where i MISS UNIP. at least their roads had a longer life span. Not Ba MMD life span is ?????. yet costing too much.
Lemme get this clear, a road can’t collapse, unless its a bridge. Did this road sink, or was it washed away be rains?
#10 Moderator,
In most instances it comes naturally and a sign of despair to stand at akimbo when observing an overwhelming occurance.
Did this not happen last year aswell?
On “Mr. Apuleni said the Maamba/Batoka road was built to cater for lighter vehicles and the transportation of coal using heavy trucks was contributing to the collapse of portions of the road” I wish mention that the Maamba-Batoka has been with us for a very long time such that measures to sustain it whether in handling heavy loads or not would have been implemented if the MMD GRZ Administration was serious. The only thing I have notice here is that due to the failure by the MMD to manage the affairs and resources of Zambia, the cutting off of the road in discussion has now an annual ceremony. That road was supposed to be declared a National Disaster a long time ago so that it is made to the standard of quality desired to keep lives of people using it as safe.
Be blest…
“Act of God” Act of God” Man always wants to apportion blame to something else other than himself. Man made the poor road knowing the conditions around the area and didn’t prepare for it. So its man who failed to utilise a mental capacity given him with his birth. Stop blaming God for your shortcomings!
Ba #2 naimwe ama excuses. This is not a one off. It keeps happening too often.