… as stakeholders convene crisis meeting
TEFO PHEAGE
The Minister who officiated at the Gaborone-Boatle Road and Interchange Project, Thulaganyo Segokgo, has expressed disappointment with the poor workmanship in the project, following the collapse of the Boatle Bridge embankment seven months following the hand over to the government.
In a brief interview, Segokgo – who was then the transport minister – said it was disappointing. “I do not have much information relating to the developments but I have had the opportunity to see the collapse and I don’t think it is a good thing to see.”
“Very disappointing”
Segokgo added that it was “very disappointing” but said he “was confident that the relevant authorities will take it up with the project engineers or contractors.”
Addressing the media back in 2018, the Ministry of Transport and Communications said the project value was approximately P1.1 billion.
The scope of works included the upgrading of the Gaborone-Boatle Road to a dual carriageway and construction of bridges at Tloaneng and Metsimaswaane rivers with an interchange (grade separated junction) at Boatle.
The project contractors are CCC and China State Construction Engineering Corporation Joint Venture, and were supervised by Bothakga Burrow Botswana as consultants. The parties were seen at the site yesterday with the Minister Transport and Communications, Eric Molale, to assess the damage and discuss the way forward.
Disgust
Soon after the bridge collapsed, Batswana took to social media to express their disgust with the poor workmanship of contractors. Boatle Bridge was one of the government’s Economic Stimulus Programme projects that aimed to decongest the Boatle-Gaborone section of the A1 Highway.