Witnessing passengers alighting their vehicle to push it off dilapidated planks  of  bridges on the Euthini-Rumphi Road has become a regular episode.

These bridges sit on this dusty road that snakes through north-western Mzimba and Rumphi districts’ economic hubs such as swathes of agriculture estates and the Vwaza Wildlife Marsh harbouring Lake Kazuni.

Despite its value, economic or social, the road depicts years of neglect the dwellers, counted in thousands, have endured.

But now, there’s a sweeping verve for better days as the Euthini-Rumphi 67-kilometre (km) road has been singled out for upgrading through the $350 million (K360 billion) Millennium Challenge Compact (MCC) grant.

Bentry Kumwenda, Emchisweni Ward councillor in Mzimba, says: “It is pleasing that we are nearing the end of this painful chapter. We believe that once the project is completed, we will be able to transport our farm produce cheaply and sell in urban areas at reasonable prices.”.

The councillor, whose ward is close to the wildlife reserve at Lake Kazuni, further believes that the upgraded road will boost tourism at Vwaza, an appetising mix of vegetation: forest and grassland, thin woodland and the marsh.

According to the www.malawitourism.com, nearly 300 species of birds have been recorded including stork, heron and the white-faced tree duck.

MCC is an innovative and independent United States foreign assistance agency that is helping lead the fight against global poverty.

President Lazarus Chakwera formalised the signing of the deal when he travelled to the US for the United Nations General Assembly.

The MCC projects Accelerated Growth Corridors seek to reduce costs of transport in targeted rural areas.

“The project includes two activities: Road Corridor Improvement Activity – This activity will target investment in physical upgrades and improvements across different classes of roads within four selected Accelerated Growth Corridors (AGC),” MCC says in its project summary.

The earmarked roads are Euthini-Rumphi, 88km Linga-Nthunduwala-Mkanda stretch covering Kasungu and Mchinji, 53 km Likuni-Malingunde-Chileka in Lilongwe and 79km Chisoni-Chantulo in Ntcheu and Mangochi districts.

Though the MCC has other components such as Increased Land Productivity Project, it is the Accelerated Growth Corridors Project which has been allocated a lion’s share totalling to $244.9 million (K245 billion).

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Transport spokesperson Kelvin Sato boasts that the roads to be constructed will be of high quality.

According to the Ministry, the four road projects will stretch through 31 trading centres, setting them on the urbanisation course.

Roads such as this one under construction will open up access to markets for agricultural produce

Meanwhile, agriculture economic analyst Wisdom Mgomezulu predicted that the nation will make serious economic gains from the projects.

“Logistics have been a serious challenge when it comes to transportation of farm produce most especially vegetables, fruits, roots and tuber. This country relies on smallholder farmers who are based in hard-to-reach. areas. Their produce ends up going bad before they reach the market.

“So, these are important projects which will ensure that we maximise the potential of our agriculture which is the country’s economic spine,” the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources lecturer says.

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