Star Rating for Schools assessments, iRAP Surveys and Road Safety Audits will be applied across 149 km of key transport corridors in Malawi supporting safety in the US$65 million World Bank-funded Resilient and Strategic Transport Operational Enhancement Project (RESTORE).
The project supported by FRED Engineering and managed by the Roads Authority of Malawi targets two primary road links in the Lower Shire Valley that are prone to seasonal washouts and flooding:
- M001 Corridor (Thabwa – Chikwawa – Bangula): 90 km of paved trunk road connecting Blantyre to the southern districts
- S152 Feeder Road (Thabwa – Chitseko / Seveni): 59 km of unpaved road serving agricultural and local communities
The primary objective is to embed a Safe System approach into the design and operational phases of these corridors, aiming for a minimum 3-Star iRAP rating across all road user categories (pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, and vehicle occupants).
The iRAP Accredited FRED Engineering Team will execute tasks structured around key project phases:
- Multi-Stage Road Safety Audits (RSA): Conducting independent safety evaluations through Stage 1 (Preliminary Design), Stage 2 (Detailed Design), Stage 3 (Pre-Opening), and Stage 4 (Post-Opening/Defects Liability Period).
- iRAP Assessments (SR4D and SR4S): Running Star Rating for Designs (SR4D) and Star Rating for Schools (SR4S) protocols to quantify risk reductions and formulate a Safer Roads Investment Plan (SRIP).
- Traffic Management and Vulnerable User Safety: Reviewing temporary traffic management plans during construction and evaluating high-density pedestrian/school zones within 100 metres of the right of way.
- Capacity Building: Delivering technical workshops for Roads Authority engineers and local partners on the iRAP methodology, ViDA platform, and Safe System design principles.
Work will comply with local engineering standards (including the Malawi Road Safety Engineering Manual), regional SATCC guidelines, and international benchmarks such as EU Directive 2019/1936 on road infrastructure safety management.
The Malawi assignment demonstrates how international road safety methodologies can be integrated into transport infrastructure projects to support safer road designs and school zones, protect vulnerable road users and strengthen the resilience of critical transport connections.
The project aligns with Malawi’s National Road Safety Strategy 2022-2030 which includes for Road Safety Audits to be completed, and a minimum 3-star iRAP Star Rating to be achieved for all road users.
Article credit: FRED Engineering | छवि क्रेडिट: Omar Hakeem, Unsplash
हिन्दी 
English 
Português do Brasil 
Español de Colombia 
Français 