European fudning for transport project in Malawi

A finance package worth nearly US$156 million will pay for essential road works in Malawi. The finance package is being provided by the European Investment Bank (EIB), and the European Union following an agreement signed with the Malawi Government. The work will be to rebuild a 346km stretch of the M1 route, starting from Kamuzu International Airport outside the capital Lilongwe. The work will then be carried out in stages, first reaching Kazungu to the north, followed by Jenda, on the border with Zambia, and then Mzimba Junction. The last stretch to be upgraded will be the section from Kacheche to Chiweta in the north of the country. The road improvements will help improve capacity and also safety along the route, which has a poor record for crashes at present.