Roads Directorate on massive roads revamp

LINEO MALATALIANA
MASERU- The Roads Directorate (RD) is on a mission to give the northern part of the country a much needed facelift. The construction and rehabilitation of the route starts from Peka all the way to Botha Bothe, Mononts’a. The most prominent part of the road restoration is the 55km route from Ha Marakabai junction to the Mononts’a Bridge at a height of 200m and width of 10m, with two lanes. The whole project was scheduled to be completed in 36 months, under the guidance of Resident Engineer Masoabi Malunga from SM Consulting Engineers.
The project, started on March 19. 2019, was intended to transform the route from gravel to tar. The route was intended to pass from Ha Marakabai through Ha Paramenent to Ha Kefula, all the way to the bridge. However, mid construction a decision was made to start construction of the road from Ha Mashoba along Caledon to Makhunoana bringing total construction to 70km. There was also construction of a surface road from Ha Napo to the military camp.
This project encompasses the construction of the Hololo Bridge which is one of the most revered bridges in the country. The structure is 82m and 80m deep, and is said to be weather resilient with a lifespan of over 200 years. The bridge has a side walk and has been reinforced to ensure its longevity. Every mega construction has hiccups along the way. One of the major hurdles the construction team and the RD faced is encroachment which led to the relocation and compensation of about 1 000 people. This was a time consuming task as some people were not reachable on time and this led to delays in the construction.
The Community Liason Officer of the project, Lepoqo Mohale, said they engaged with the affected communities through general gatherings and by approaching people on a personal level. Those who were affected were compensated based on the value of their land. The aim of compensation is to reinstate one to their original standard of living or better.
He also said some of the affected parties are yet to be found and engaged and in such instances construction has had to be delayed. Again, the government faced some financial constraints on the project which led to delays. The government was supposed to inject a little over M300 million into the project to ensure it meets the 36 months deadline that was anticipated.
On the bright side, the construction of the Mononts’a Bridge is said to be a state of art project. The erection of the control building has almost reached completion. There will also be a residential site and water treatment plant in the works.