Online Reporter
Freeman Razemba
Senior Reporter
About 73,4 kilometres of the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls has been completed and opened to traffic as progress is being made on the busy highway.
This week, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development opened an additional 5-kilometre section at the Cross Jotsholo area, bringing safer and smoother travel to motorists using this strategic corridor.
There are eight contractors working on the 440-kilometre road.
The Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road is one of Zimbabwe’s strategic highways, linking the country’s tourism hub with major commercial centres while also serving as a key regional route connecting Zimbabwe to neighbouring countries in the Sadc region.
The newly opened stretch is part of ongoing works by Bitumen Resources, contributing to the total 73.4 kilometres now open to traffic as of 30 July 2026.
The overall project, which began in July 2025, has seen significant progress across multiple lots, with Syvern Investment leading the pack with 13.9 kilometres surfaced, followed by Tensor Systems with 10.6 kilometres, and Masimba Holdings with 10.3 kilometres.
Other contractors including Fossil Contracting, Linash Construction and Bitumen Resources have also opened sections to traffic, while Asphalt Products and Bitumen World are yet to open their allocated lots.
The highway forms part of the North-South Corridor, a critical regional transport link connecting South Africa through Beitbridge to Zambia, Namibia, and Botswana, playing a key role in trade, tourism and economic integration.
Initially, five contractors — Fossil Contracting, Masimba Holdings, Syvern Investment, Bitumen Resources and Tensor Systems were awarded contracts to rehabilitate sections of the 440-kilometre stretch.
The Government later added three more contractors for Lots 6, 7 and 8, covering the final approaches to Victoria Falls to fast-track the completion of the upgrading of this busy highway.
The highway serves as a key route for regional trade and tourism, connecting southern Zimbabwe to the Kazungula Bridge and the wider SADC transport network.
For years, motorists, truckers and tourists travelling to Victoria Falls — a Unesco World Heritage Site and one of the world’s premier tourist destinations — have endured long, difficult journeys due to the pothole-riddled highway.
The rehabilitation work, expected to be completed this year, aims to restore the route to world-class standards that support the free flow of goods, tourism traffic and regional economic integration.
The Bulawayo – Victoria Falls Road rehabilitation is part of the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP II), launched by the Government to modernise the country’s road network. The programme has seen major works on highways such as Harare – Beitbridge, Harare-Chirundu, Mutare-Harare, and key feeder roads in all provinces.
The project aligns with the Second Republic’s policy of devolution and inclusive development, ensuring that strategic economic corridors in all regions receive attention to unlock industrial growth, facilitate tourism and enhance cross-border trade.
Once complete, the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road is expected to improve road safety, reduce travel time between Bulawayo and Victoria Falls and strengthen Zimbabwe’s position as a regional logistics and tourism hub.
