A Cry for Kamuzu Bridge

When construction of Kamuzu Bridge over the Shire River in Chikhwawa came to a satisfying end, it is obvious that the engineers revealed the period when the bridge would still be strong enough to continue being used. But sometimes, it is possible for a structure to be declared unsafe for use even before the promulgated span of use is over. This may be in virtue of other factors like floods, earthquakes and sometimes, vandalism. On the other hand, it may not necessarily require the inspection of an architect to know that a structure is past its useful span.

It was reported some time back that the time which Kamuzu Bridge was supposed to be used is now over. Even the current condition of the bridge speaks loudly that danger is looming. It speaks volumes about the fact that the bridge’s useful time is over.

Despite all this, the peculiar thing is that nothing tangible is being done to avoid a forewarned disaster. Or if something is being done, then the pace is too slow, because there is nothing on the ground anywhere where the new bridge would be. Of course, some weeks ago, reconstruction work was going on the bridge, but it appears nothing has changed really.

Those who have used the bridge recently will agree with me that it is clear that it has been overused and anything can happen from now. There are parts of the bridge where sections which were supposed to be joined are clearly disjointed and one can clearly peep into the water below while on top of the bridge, not over the side rails.

Thought the supporting metal planks which were removed have been replaced, still the condition of the bridge does not speak anything near safety. Lives of those who travel from each side of the bridge are being endangered every minute.

I should think that government has got its ways of inspecting and monitoring different structures so that proper measures of avoiding disasters are put in place. Some of these issues are just very simple: for example, constructions have life spans, and after the life spans have expired, there is no other remedy than to renovate them or demolish them and construct others.

Kamuzu Bridge is one of the most frequently used bridges in Malawi because it links the major commercial city of Blantyre and the Lower Shire where we have the Nchalo sugar estate and the cotton growing schemes. Trucks loaded with tones and tones of sugar from Nchalo and cotton from different parts of the Lower Shire use the bridge almost on a daily basis. And the most dangerous thing is that the bridge continues being used even after its devastated condition.

Of course, even if someone claims that the span is not yet over, still the cracks on the bridge are enough warning that we are putting our dear lives at a perilous risk by continuously using it.

Government should have put the Kamuzu Bridge construction under serious consideration.

It would have done Malawians a great deal of justice by starting the construction of another bridge as soon as possible, even now; otherwise the current condition of the bridge is scaring. And considering that constructing a bridge across the Shire River, especially where the river is wide like in Chikhwawa, is not any easy task, government would have done better by starting the construction now.

Now, with the current state of the Bridge, one wonders whether the authorities ever go around this country monitoring and inspecting different constructions, because if they did, why then haven’t they put in place any strategy that would entail the construction of another bridge across Shire River in Chikhwawa?

My plea to government is to check the conditions of different constructions, especially bridges in Malawi because we will have a rude awakening one day to be told that most structures have been declared unfit to be used. With Kamuzu Bridge, though I am not an architectural engineer, I can see that there is a clear indication that the bridge has reached the end of its usefulness.