Travelers along the M5 Road between Salima and Mzuzu are paying to cross a makeshift wooden bridge after flooding damaged Luludzi Bridge in Kasitu, cutting off vehicle passage on the route.
The bridge, located between Ngala and Kasitu, was affected by heavy rains that fell on December 31, rendering it impassable to vehicles and forcing passengers to cross the river on foot.
In the absence of vehicle access, local residents have erected a temporary timber footbridge across the river, charging K1,000 per person, while motorcycles are reportedly paying up to K500,000 to cross.
Passengers travelling from Salima towards Mzuzu and those coming from Nkhata Bay or Dwangwa towards Nkhotakota are leaving their vehicles on either side of the river, crossing on foot and boarding other vehicles to continue their journeys, effectively paying twice to complete a single journey.
The disruption has also led to the establishment of temporary roadside vending points where traders are selling food and other basic commodities to stranded travellers.
Two days ago, the Roads Authority said on its official Facebook page that emergency repair works at Luludzi Bridge in Kasitu would start “today” after the structure was affected by flooding. However, as of yesterday, works had not yet commenced at the site.
As of yesterday, Luludzi Bridge in Kasitu remained impassable to vehicles along the Salima–Mzuzu stretch of the M5 Road.
