Online Reporter
Zvamaida Murwira
Senior Reporter
The construction of the Airport Road interchange between Harare Drive and Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Expressway is expected to take less than 12 months, with design work now complete and the contractor having already mobilised the required equipment.
The interchange is part of several major projects being undertaken by the Government following the completion of the Trabablas Interchange, which has eased traffic congestion in southern Harare.
In an interview on Star FM’s current affairs programme “Muriro on Monday”, Harare Mayor, Councillor Jacob Mafume, said the city has since leased a quarry to the contractor, Makomo Engineering, where work has commenced.
Cllr Mafume said work had started in earnest, with the contractor importing a range of heavy equipment for the project.
“We have given the contractor that is going to do that road a lease on the quarry. If you go there, there are huge machines that are being put in place to start the quarrying, to also establish an asphalt plant and to begin the roadworks. The designs have been completed,” said Cllr Mafume.
“The contractor is there and they have already imported lots and tonnes of equipment from China to do the work.”
Makomo Engineering, a renowned firm, has previously executed several projects for the Government and is currently working on Kunzvi Dam.
Cllr Mafume said the project is expected to be completed within 12 months.
“The roadworks will be done and they are being done in Harare and the interchanges will be done, and they will ease the flow of traffic in a great way, like what Trabablas has done. So this will be done. The timeline, of course, is probably 12 months to complete or under 12 months or just over 12 months because these are major, major civil works,” said Cllr Mafume.
“I believe that we are on track. We are on time. There is no confusion as to what is to be done, who is to do what and when. That’s clear and that’s being supervised by the Ministry of Transport and central Government at that point, and we are assisting or complementing where need be and we will complement them as we did around Trabablas without fanfare, without noise. A seamless operation to make sure that the transport landscape of Harare changes in a big way to the benefit of the residents and the various stakeholders that use our roads.”
Turning to the Mabvuku Interchange, Cllr Mafume said it was one of several projects under construction, with council complementing the efforts.
“The Mabvuku interchange is being done and all the interchanges that were announced by the Government are at various stages of work or beginning to take shape,” he said.
The Government is working on several other interchanges in the capital.
Four further interchanges are planned to continue decongesting roads and modernising infrastructure. These will be located at Harare Drive–Mutare Road, Harare Drive–Liberation Legacy Way, Nemakonde Way–Harare Drive, Sam Nujoma Street–Harare Drive, Westgate Traffic Circle, Kuwadzana Traffic Circle and Churchill Road–Liberation Legacy Way.
