The work covers about 35 kilometres along 22 selected roads, and is budgeted at 22.3 million US dollars, to be granted by the Arab Bank for the Economic Development of Africa, by the OPEC Fund, and by the Mozambican government.
The contract has been awarded to a consortium between the Mozambican contractor CETA and the Italian company CMC-Southern Africa, who won the tender launched by the Maputo municipal authorities early this year.
A source in the municipality explained that some of the roads, because of their advanced state of decay will have to be completely rebuilt, while others will need only patching up. In both cases, special attention will be paid to improving the storm water drainage system. The roads in downtown Maputo, regularly flooded whenever there is heavy rain, will need a completely new drainage system The longest stretch to be rehabilitated is 3.8 kilometres long, and the shortest is just 30 metres.
Besides the roads, the project is also to rehabilitate some of Maputo's squares, notably Workers Square, in front of the main rail station, and Heroes Square, which contains the monument where the founder of Frelimo, Eduardo Mondlane, the country's first President, Samora Machel, and others who fell during the liberation struggle, are buried.
SOURCE: AIM
