INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT ROLLING OUT – MILUPI

By Jessica Mwansa

THE Government is implementing various infrastructure development programmes as enshrined in the 8^th National Development Plan 8NDP and the 2022-2026 Road Development Agency (RDA) Strategic Plans, Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development Minister Charles Milupi has said.

Speaking to The Scoop, Eng. Milupi said the implementation of infrastructure through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) and other innovative financing models showed the Government’s commitment in the transport sector.

He said the Ministry was adequately looking at how it could draw on the research that was being churned out of universities and research institutions.

“The Government wants to develop a mechanism of identifying the critical and relevant research works and use them in decision making. We are ready to work with the researchers to take their work to the market,” Eng. Milupi said.

He said going by the current trends in the world, Zambia’s transport sector had equally been affected by climate change which had in turn impacted negatively on the RDA’s overall contribution to the socio-economic development of the country.

“There is a need to learn from experiences of other countries with respect to innovative solutions to transport infrastructure challenges if we are to progress well in the transport sector,” he said.

He said RDA had operational linkages with strategic partners in the planning and delivery of transport infrastructure projects through collaboration with other road sector institutions but that the Agency through the Department of Planning and design will carry out bridge inspections to access the structures.

“One of RDA’s mandate is the care and maintenance of bridges and drainage structures on the Trunk, Main and District (TMD) roads so the Agency through the Department of Planning and Design will embark on bridge inspections to assess their state and determine what remedies can be applied to prolong the life of the structures,” he said.

He said once examinations are completed, the information will then be recorded in a software called a Bridge Management System (BMS) for use in determining which bridges should get immediate attention.

“The RDA carries out bridge inspections all year round on the Trunk, Main and District (TMD) roads and sometimes uses specialized equipment like a Bridge Inspection Vehicle (BIV) which is a specialized truck with an articulating arm that allows inspectors to climb through and inspect the underside of the bridge or conduct repairs under bridges. We therefore urge members of the public to join the Agency in this move and report any bridge that should be inspected,” he said.