By ALICE NACHILEMBE
There are flash signs that some roads in Chingola may receive face-lift this year.
Chingola has a history of contractors being on site and later abandoning the project.
This has happened in the past 10 years.
Consort Avenue has been done to bituminous standard.
Part of Jumbe and Chiwempala roads have received asphalt in readiness for the final layer.
The bridge at Mwaiseni has been done, concreting at Solwezi turnoff has been done and asphalt has been put from Solwezi turnoff up to BM Centre.
Chingola has turned into a construction site with road works being done in most parts of the district giving residents and motorists hope for a good road network.
In the recent past Chingola roads have been left undone by several contractors but this time around there seems to be a new song in the district.
A motorist Chalwe Kalunga who bubbled with joy said the cost of doing business will be reduced and the life span of the vehicles increased.
Mr Kalunga said that bad road network in the district was creating artificial congestion and making the town look ugly.
Chingola Mayor Titus Tembo expressed happiness with the progress and the speed at which contractors are moving.
Mr Tembo said the workmanship of China Geo and Syno-Hydro was good an indication that in the coming few months the outlook of the roads will change.
He said both contractors have started putting asphalt on the roads and the story of bad roads will be a song of the past.
The Mayor said the stretch between ‘Welcome to Chingola’ to the roundabout at the District Commissioner’s office needs to be done before the rains begin.
“This stretch is the main worry and we have been meeting with the contractors so that they beef up manpower and machinery. The roundabout is a bad site and people have been sending bad comments,” he said.
He has called on road users to continue exercising patience while the roads are being done.
