Africa-Press – Angola. The Minister of Public Works, Urbanism and Housing, Carlos Alberto dos Santos, assured, this Sunday, in Lôvua, that the rehabilitation works of Estrada Nacional 225, route Dundo (Lunda-Norte), until the detour of the Xá-Muteba , in a route of 540 kilometers, will be completed in December of this year.
Carlos Alberto dos Santos, who also inspected the works underway on Estrada Nacional 230, said he was satisfied with the physical execution of the Catata/Lôvua municipal seat section. He said that of the 30 kilometers of Estrada Nacional 225, which were yet to be completed, 21 had already been completed.
“What worried us was the Estrada Nacional 225, where, because of 30 kilometers, the route is not completed, but now we leave here happy, because of the 30 kilometers, 21 are already done. There are nine kilometers to go, and we have an express guarantee from the companies that by December we can inaugurate the section”, he stressed.
The Minister of Public Works, Urban Planning and Housing considered that the conclusion of the works on Estrada Nacional 225 will have a positive impact on the lives of the populations, considering the importance of guaranteeing the fluidity of trade and various goods, taking into account that the same establishes the connection between the city of Dundo and five municipalities in Lunda-Norte, namely Lôvua, Cuílo, Caungula, Cuango and Xá-Muteba. He added that, this month, lot 1, corresponding to the Malanje/Caculama section, will be delivered as part of the rehabilitation of Estrada Nacional 230.
At that moment, he said, the Executive’s biggest concern lies in the delays in the execution of works on lot 3, via the Lui River, to the Xá-Muteba municipal headquarters.
Asked about the ravines along the route, Carlos Alberto dos Santos assured that the survey has already been carried out to contain them.
In turn, the governor of Lunda-Norte, Deolinda Vilarinho, made it known that the improvement of communication routes is the main focus of governance in this mandate. She highlighted that with the roads in good condition, the foundations will be laid for the gradual price reduction of basic food products.
Deolinda Vilarinho said that, in addition to national roads, special attention should be given to secondary and tertiary roads.
Companies oriented to reinforce the means
During the inspection of Estrada Nacional 230, which connects Saurimo/Malanje, the minister referred to the need to carry out an urgent intervention in parts of the section, to improve the movement of people and goods.
Carlos Alberto dos Santos, who appreciated the state of the roads in the eastern region, as part of the visit to the province of Lunda-Sul, appealed to the companies to reinforce the technical means to boost the work. Due to the poor performance, the minister said that the situation could lead to the termination of contracts with the sector.
The minister visited projects near the banks of the Peso Velho river, in Mona-Quimbundo territory, beginning of lot nine, consigned to the company Omatapalo. After a brief technical explanation about the works in progress, the official, who came from Malanje, by road, gave a positive note to the asphalting work of 25 kilometers, out of the 50 planned.
Continuing his visit to the city of Saurimo, he also observed the earthworks being carried out on the axis designed for a ring road intended to relieve traffic in the urban center. The minister traveled by road to the municipality of Dala, to see the difficulties in car traffic along the 160 kilometres. On this route, he inspected the bridge over the Luachimo River.
The Minister of Public Works, Urbanism and Housing demanded that the company fulfill its commitment to the State. Regarding the construction works of 212 dwellings, planned for phase one, 67 percent are completed. He acknowledges that “there were financial constraints, but the schedules have already been readjusted”. The work will be delivered in September next year.
The governor of Lunda-Sul, Daniel Neto, considers the presence of the Minister of Public Works, Urbanism and Housing “opportune, because the recommendations made, after the complete radiography of Estradas Nacional 230, EN 180 and the Centralidade de Saurimo, will gain another impulse”.
Daniel Neto said that attention was paid to the completion of the works. In this regard, the construction of the bridge over the Muanguês River, on the Saurimo/Lucapa road, and immediate interventions to stop the seven ravines, especially the one that advances in the Nhama neighborhood, a suburban part, of the 54 registered in the Lunda-Sul province, stands out.
Execution of works
The resident inspector accompanying the works, over a 50-kilometre route, on lot nine, at Estada Nacional 230, guarantees that the Omatapalo contractor meets the technical parameters of execution and the construction time provided for in the contract.
José Ventura said that the road, to be delivered in July of next year, will have a lane of seven meters, evenly distributed for each direction of travel, and with margins of one meter. He mentioned that with preventive maintenance of the pavement, the asphalt can last 20 years.
In this regard, he guaranteed that, depending on the executions, the State paid the company half of the budget provided for in the contract. The contractor faces difficulties in the collective access to the inert supply sites of the desired quality. The difficulties also include shortages in fuel stocks and dependence on the country’s capital to obtain spare parts to recover the machines.
For the National Institute of Roads of Angola (INEA), the head of the Department of Road Construction, Fernando Manuel, highlighted that the paved route exceeds 30 kilometers of the 50 allocated, with a thickness of ten centimeters. The execution guaranteed direct employment to 246 workers, 204 of whom are from Lunda-Sul province.
From the Bridge Construction area, Erivaldo Andrade described that the construction of the bridge over the Luvo River is more than 40 percent advanced. Among other support bases for the structure, the project includes the installation of industrial foundations. The deck slab, prefabricated, has a lane of seven meters, and includes sidewalks.
Adão Diogo / Saurimo
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