Bulawayo-Nkayi Road upgrade progresses . . . additional 4km stretch opened to traffic

GOVERNMENT has reported significant progress in the rehabilitation of the Bulawayo-Nkayi Road in Matabeleland North Province, with an additional four-kilometre stretch recently opened to traffic.

The rehabilitation of the Bulawayo-Nkayi Road remains one of the country’s top national infrastructure priorities, and Government has reiterated its commitment to sustained funding to ensure the project moves swiftly towards completion.

In its latest update, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development confirmed that the upgrade works are firmly on schedule.

“Significant progress has been recorded on the Bulawayo-Nkayi Road project with the opening of a new 4-kilometre stretch. This development pushes the total number of completed kilometres to 70 out of the full 160-kilometre distance between the two destinations. We now have 90 kilometres remaining to complete this vital artery. Every kilometre paved reflects Government’s commitment to infrastructure development,” read the statement.

The update has been welcomed by commuters and businesses that rely on the route as a key economic lifeline, offering improved access to markets, health centres and administrative services. Stakeholders say the progress reflects the tangible impact of Government’s infrastructure programme across Matabeleland North.

Meanwhile, Government has moved to allay concerns that the detour currently being used by motorists through Hwange National Park will be left to deteriorate once rehabilitation of the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Highway is completed.

The route between Dete and Cross Mabale is serving as a temporary detour to facilitate ongoing works on the main highway. However, motorists have raised concerns over its condition, noting that the road was not designed to handle heavy traffic volumes — particularly from haulage trucks now using it.

Initial worries centred on the impact of increased noise and movement on wildlife inside the park, but stakeholders have since voiced broader fears that the route — a crucial access point for locals and tourists — may be permanently damaged.

Responding to the concerns, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona assured the public that the detour will not be neglected.

“I want to allay the fears that whenever we create a detour, we find the most possible route so that we direct traffic. Unfortunately, we are talking about an area that is a game park. You find out that by using the existing road network, we are also trying not to disturb the infrastructure in terms of peace but the question is that trucks are now using this road.

“What we want to assure is that once we are done rehabilitating the particular stretch, we will then come back to administer the road that we are using as a detour. As we speak, the contractor is seized with the matter and is executing with speed to make sure that we complete that particular stretch and then redirect traffic back to the main road. So, I want to say yes, it might appear as if it is a long route, it was the most appropriate route that the contractor had to embark on,” said Minister Mhona.

He emphasised that the contractor working on the Cross Dete-Cross Mabale stretch is accelerating works to ensure traffic is redirected back to the main highway as soon as possible, easing pressure on the sensitive park road network.