Today, Zambia National Service (ZNS) Commander Lt Gen Eng Maliti Solochi II visited Sinjela area in Rufunsa District were a bridge on Kankumba Stream collapsed yesterday leaving hundreds of travellers stranded and cutting off the Great East Road.
Here are the highlights:
✅Commander Lt Gen Eng Maliti Solochi revealed that works have commenced on a diversion to allow traffic to start flowing
✅He assured the traveling public that the Great East Road will be reopened to traffic by the end of the day.
✅Engineers from the Zambia National Service (ZNS) and the Road Development Agency (RDA) have delivered acrow bridge panels ahead of their installation for a temporal bridge to be erected today.
✅Six tipper trucks carrying more materials are on their way from Lusaka to join in the works.
✅And the ZNS Commander has disclosed that President Hakainde Hichilema has directed the Zambia Army, Zambia National Service and the Road Development Agency to conduct a countrywide assessment of all bridges and report on their state.
✅Lt Gen Solochi says the Commander-in-Chief of the Zambia Defence Force made the directive yesterday upon hearing that the bridge in Sinjela gave away after heavy rains.
✅Engineers from the three institutions are expected to start the assessment as soon as possible.
✅Meanwhile, Lusaka Province Minister Hon Sheal Mulyata has commended the Zambia National Service and the Road Development Agency for swiftly moving on site to work on the collapsed bridge.
✅Hon Mulyata says the quick response shows how committed the government institutions are to alleviate the problems being faced by the travelling public.
✅Meanwhile, RDA Director Road Maintenance Eng Paul Habasimbi says works on the across bridge will take three days.
✅And Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit Rufunsa District Disaster Management Officer Sharon Banda says mobile toilets and an ambulance will be stationed at the collapsed bridge to attend to the hundreds of people who stranded on either side of the road.
✅Ms Banda said the DMMU wants to mitigate the challenges the traveling public is facing.