The Government is considering establishing a mini-interchange in Bulawayo similar to the iconic Trabablas Interchange in Harare to ease congestion and improve traffic flow.
This was
revealed by the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Felix
Mhona, during a recent parliamentary session, where he updated the nation on
progress being made on several key roads in the southern region.
The proposed
Bulawayo mini-interchange would mark a significant milestone in
devolution-aligned urban transport planning, with the potential to stimulate
economic activity and attract further investment into the region.
“I have tasked
my engineer for the Bulawayo Province to also interrogate and see what we can
have in terms of a mini-interchange. I will keep the August House updated
pertaining to where we are going to be putting the interchange in particular,”
said Minister Mhona.
Although
specific locations are yet to be disclosed, the announcement signals a growing
Government commitment to ensure Bulawayo receives comparable road
infrastructure upgrades to those implemented in the capital.
This
development is expected to significantly enhance urban mobility, reduce traffic
bottlenecks and complement ongoing works on the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls
Highway.
“Contractors
for the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road have been mobilised and as we speak, five
are on the ground.
They are
opening detours and traffic will then be moved to detours as they attend to the
roads,” Minister Mhona said.
The Government
has adopted a decentralised and accountable approach, awarding specific
stretches of the road to individual contractors responsible not only for
construction but also for routine maintenance and beautification.
“We are going
to be maintaining and every particular contractor on a particular section —
they are awarded and will superintend over road maintenance, grass cutting and
each particular contractor has got about 50km.
“So, you will
see them maintaining and at the same time opening a detour. They will be doing
5km detours. As they finish, they move traffic back to the roads and continue
on their stretch,” he added.
The project is
expected to take about 10 months to complete and will be carried out in phases,
with contractors working on specific sections of the road in a co-ordinated
kilometre-by-kilometre approach.
The
Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road is one of the country’s key national highways and
a vital regional corridor that links the country to Zambia, Botswana, and
Namibia. It serves thousands of domestic travellers and international tourists
each year.
The road is
also essential for the movement of goods between southern Zimbabwe and the
north-western regions, including the Hwange coalfields and surrounding mining
and agricultural zones.
Over the years,
however, the route has become notorious for its potholes, eroded shoulders and
narrow lanes, prompting calls from residents, tourism operators and
cross-border transporters for urgent intervention.
The Second
Republic, under President Mnangagwa, has continued to prioritise
infrastructural development countrywide under the Emergency Road Rehabilitation
Programme (ERRP2) and various other initiatives, which have transformed the
economy as well as creating employment and brought joy among citizens.
The President
has invested significantly in infrastructural development as a key enabler of
economic transformation, despite limited access to external lines of credit.
So far, more
than 50 000km of roads have been rehabilitated, while 2 000 structures have
been attended to since the start of the ERRP2 in 2021.
The Government
is also in the process of negotiating with potential investors for the
rehabilitation of some of the country’s roads.
In yet another
transformative infrastructure announcement, Minister Mhona confirmed that
construction will soon begin on the long-awaited Kwekwe-Nkayi-Lupane Road, a
strategic route that will significantly reduce travel time from Harare between
Bulawayo and Victoria Falls.
“The good news,
exciting news, is that we are now going to be starting on the
Kwekwe-Nkayi-Lupane Road. The contractor is mobilising, which is also going to
shorten the distance to Victoria Falls. The same contractor will be working on
the entire stretch of the Bulawayo-Nkayi Road,” said the minister.
The road
development projects, including the proposed interchange in Bulawayo are part
of the Second Republic’s commitment to modernising national infrastructure
under the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) and Vision 2030. Sunday News
0 comments:
Post a Comment