The Director of Department of Roads, Kabo Kote, says he is happy with the performance of some of the companies currently constructing roads around the country on behalf of his Department.
“Most of the companies are doing satisfactorily and are on schedule in their jobs,” Kote told The Telegraph.
The Roads Director said that they currently have 7 construction and 8 maintenance projects around the country.
Of these, he explained that some roads like the Gaborone- Tlokweng border post, which cost P376 million to re-construct, was 92 percent complete and that there has been delays because of lack of bitumen and relocation of services.
He added that the Ngoma ÔÇô Kazungula road, which cost P 186 million for resealing, was also substantially complete, while the Francistown ÔÇô Ramokgwebana road, which has cost P386 million to reseal, was 96 percent complete.
Also complete was the Western bypass Metsimotlhabe road which had cost P400 million.
H e said that other roads, like the Nata- Kazungula road, were behind schedule because of lack of proper soil types, which necessitated that such soils be mixed with sand or cement.
He explained that the same problem of poor soil was responsible for the delay in the completion of Kang- Hukuntsi road because the soil that area was of calcrete type, which he explained is similar to cement and that it needs to be mixed with sand in order to be used for road making. He said the process takes time.
The construction of this road and that of Francistown Ramokwebana by Sinohydro has made news for a long time as they missed several scheduled dates of completion.
Other roads, which are behind schedule because of the same reasons of lack of proper soils, are those of Sowa junction and Sowa Pan town and Thebephatshwa junction to Letlhakeng.
Kote explained that there are penalties for companies that have failed to meet deadlines for completion of projects. Such penalties, he said, are such that liquidated damages where companies which fail to meet deadlines are charged every day delayed for delivering of project.
He also said that such companies’ names are submitted to Public Procurement and Assert Disposal Board to assist it considering companies for potential jobs.
Roads which are currently behind schedule for unexplained reasons include Selibe Phikwe Sefophe road, Mmamashia, Oodi Modipane road and Gaborone ÔÇô Boatle road.
