21 Sep 2022

The Ministry of Transport and Public Works has been tasked to identify possible routes to decongest the A1 and connect some villages, as per the new Public Roads Amendment Act.

The minister responsible, Mr Eric Molale said following the passing of the law, the ministry was tasked with a mammoth task of securing strategic routes across the country that would also cater for the hither to be introduced tolling system.

As part of the process, Mr Molale on Tuesday September 20 visited the Modipane-Mabalane-Phala Camp route in the Kgatleng District to gauge its suitability to be one of the corridors to decongest the A1 Road.

Speaking in an interview after the tour, he said the route was indeed strategic, as it would cater for huge trucks crossing through the Tlokweng Border Post instead of them traversing Gaborone’s high traffic volume.

He stated that the countrywide tour he was conducting would help in planning the clustering of roads for the maintenance programme as some of the routes that decongest major routes such as the A1 needed continuous maintenance.

Mr Molale stated it was thus important to have graders for maintenance of the alternative routes, adding that the ministry had enrolled 30 trainees at Construction Industry Trust Fund, who would be responsible for grading of roads around the country.

“We are doing this to ensure that all the time a grader is working on any given cluster of the roads,” he said.

Through clustering of roads initiative, he stated, the roads department would be able to address challenges such as indiscriminate dumping of litter along the roads and to be able pick poor workmanship for swift remedial action.

Minister Molale further revealed that the transitional plan for NDP 12 was underway, with one of its main focuses being to prioritise road projects.

“So far during our meetings in Parliament and other public fora, everyone has been bidding, with the best bidder considered for a road, without any systematic way of determining how to open up the country,” he said.

In that regard, he stated that the ministry was drafting a National Road Master Plan to cater for more roads and open more road networks.

“Our intention is to cover most of the roads in all the districts and constituencies as much as we can, rather than having only one route,” he stated.

He, however, stated that all the plans for road works would be possible, budget allowing.

Meanwhile, Mochudi East MP, Mr Mabuse Pule acknowledged that the Modipane-Mabalane route had so far served the residents well as it was used to traverse through Tlokweng to Gaborone, adding the Modipane-Mabalane-Phala Camp route would in turn link Kgatleng with the Central District, among other places.

“These roads are very important to us because they decongest the major routes that pass through the capital city. 

The same applies to Bokaa-Kopong road that links Kgatleng, Kweneng, all the way to Thamaga/Kumakwane,” he stated.

Mr Pule, who is also the Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, said should the route be considered, it would shorten the travelling distance; reduce travel costs and road accidents on the main A1 road that connects major cities, all the way to Ramatlabama and Kazungula. 

He said it would also serve his constituents well as they would transport both raw materials and produce from the envisaged horticultural farms, owing to their proximity to the Madikwe River.

“This could be the starting point for investment opportunities into the constituency because roads infrastructure is primary in doing business,” he stated.

Kgosi Michael Balebetse of Mmathubudukwane appreciated the tour, stating that the road had long been utilised as a shorter route to connect with villages in the gaMmangwato area and served as the best alternative for bypassing high volume traffic on major roads.

Concurring with the two ministers that the road was a strategic route for decongesting the A1 highway, he added that there was need for a well-constructed bridge across Notwane River. Ends