KAZUNGULA: Minister of Transport and Public Works, Eric Molale has revealed that government plans to build toll gates, a railway line and alternative roads to ease traffic congestion along the A3 road.
The A3 road has proven to be one of the busiest and deadliest roads in the country following the opening of Kazungula Bridge. Since the commissioning of the Bridge, road traffic on A3 has doubled as the facility is frequently used by inter-regional trucks within Southern Africa. The A3 road has also claimed so many lives. Molale announced that the toll gates installation when he was officiating during the ground breaking session for the Botswana Housing Corporation (BHC) construction project. The Minister said installation of toll gates will ensure accrued levy to be used to service roads.
According to Molale, alternative roads identified for installation of toll gates with a view to ease traffic in A3 are Oliphant’s Drift, Ntlhantlhe, Takatokwane, Goodhope and Ntlhantlhe. But he did not state when the government will start the project. Furthermore, Molale also indicated that this ministry has injected over P11 billion which will be used for the development management model for roads and infrastructure. He added that the P11 billion had been divided into nine packages, the first of which, worth P1.2 billion, will be allocated to the Chobe region. He stated that a portion of the funds disbursed will be used as part of the transitional plan to rebuild a section of the A3 road close to Ngwasha and Pandamatenga.
“The government also intends to construct a rail sail in Sowa Town as a way of reducing traffic on A3 road. Truck drivers will deliver their cargo for rail sailing and have it transported via train to Livingstone in Zambia,” he added. On other matters, Molale raised a complaint about local contractors who have a tendency of not completing their roads and infrastructure projects. He further said currently they have about nine incomplete roads amounting to P3 billion which are at a standstill due to pending court cases. “Some of the roads were awarded from as far back as 2016, 2017 and 2018 after the destructions caused by Cyclone Dineo.
The concerning part is that all of these roads were awarded to local contractors,” he added.
