31 Mar 2021

Progress on the implementation of the P4 billion Botswana Integrated Transport Project has been affected by a number of delays. 

  This came to light during a briefing of the Gaborone City Council by the project manager Mr Mmoloki Baele on Tuesday.

He said the delays were associated with the relocation of utility services as well as finalisation of design pending clearance of the environmental, social management and resettlement action plans. 

The project, aimed at enhancing efficiency and modernising the Greater Gaborone transport system, is a collaboration between the Ministry of Transport and Communications and that of Local Government and Rural Development. 

Co-financed by the World Bank and government, it commenced in 2010 and is expected to run until 2025.

It encompasses upgrading of road infrastructure as well as traffic control and regulation. 

Mr Baele explained that the anticipated scope and cost of relocating utility services had been underestimated. 

He said there were continuous consultations with utility services providers concerning relocation and that to date, most had been cleared.

Another factor contributing to the delay, he explained, was communication with affected persons along the road corridor which impeded commencement of construction. 

Delays were also caused by ascertaining sustainability of the internationally sourced system and equipment, provision of power to intersections and post-accident repairs, he said. 

Mr Baele pointed out that in recent years, the Greater Gaborone area had seen a rapid increase in the number of vehicles without commensurate transport infrastructure development. 

As a result, the Department of Road Transport had embarked on an urban roads improvement programme covering traffic signalling system and centralised traffic control centre; design, build and transfer for three Western Bypass interchanges; design, build and transfer of layout improvements of intersections. 

He said the traffic signals system and control centre was contracted at a cost of P348 917 608.22 to Sociedad Iberica De Construcciones Electricas S.A. 

Works commenced in 2017 for a period of slightly over eight years.

Regarding the intersections improvement component, Mr Baele said the P478 996 687.67 tender had been awarded to China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation which started work in 2019 with completion scheduled for July. 

For the Western Bypass interchanges, he said, the contractor was a joint venture of Zhong Gan Engineering & Construction, China Jiangsu International Botswana (and Unik Construction Engineering at a cost of P447 239 902.03.

It started work in 2019 and is expected to finish in three years. 

Mr Baele said  although delays were encountered, construction was in progress at all three sites including piling for foundations and concreting of piers for the overpass at BTV and Rainbow roundabouts. Ends