The Malawi Roads Authority (MRA) has initiated the process to hire contractors for five major road construction projects.

Malawi will finance the projects using the proceeds of loans obtained from international financiers that include the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries Fund, the Kuwaiti Fund for Development and the Arab Fund for Economic Development.

MRA CEO Trevor Hiwa says the projects include the the 82 km Thyolo–Thekerani–Muona–Bangula road, in the southern part of the country.

He states that the authority is in the process of engaging a replacement contractor for the project after an initial contract with Kuwaiti contractor MA Kharafi was terminated in December last year.

Says Hiwa: “Procurement of a new civil works contractor through international competitive bidding is under way and bid submission [is] scheduled for October 1.

“Civil works are expected to commence by November 30, and completion . . . has been scheduled for May 31, 2018, after a contract period of 30 months.”

Hiwa says the second project, for which the contractor procurement process is under way, is the construction of the 102 km Zomba–Jali–Phalombe–Chitakale road, also in southern Malawi.

The MRA also cancelled an initial contract with MA Kharafi to execute the project.

“Bids for the project are expected to be submitted on October 1 and the expected date for the commencement of civil works is November 30. The works are expected to be completed by November 30, 2017.”

The RA is also involved in the procurement of a supervision consultant to review the design and supervise the construction of the 61.2 km Lirangwe–Chingale–Machinga road, also in southern Malawi. Construction is expected to start by July 2016.

The roads authority is also seeking the services of a civil works contractor for the rehabilitation of the 75 km Liwonde–Mangochi road, in the southern lakeshore region.
The $60-million project, to be financed by the AfDB, will include the construction of market centres along the road and the improvement of selected feeder roads.

“The design review and construction supervision consultant is finalising detailed designs for the road. It is expected that the civil works contractor will be on site by December, and the contract is expected to be completed by 2018,” says Hiwa.

He says the MRA’s consultants have also finalised the production of designs for the rehabilitation of the Mzuzu–Nkhata Bay road, in the north of the country.

Hiwa says the civil works contractor for the 45 km road project is expected to move on site by November 2015. Completion of the works is scheduled for June 2017. “The project will also involve the construction of market centres along the road.”