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Robin Muchetu, Senior Reporter
WORK on the reconstruction of Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road is expected to start this August in a development that is anticipated to give relief to motorists and public transport operators who have been complaining about the bad state of the road.
The development will facilitate a seamless traffic flow to and from the resort town, ultimately bolstering tourism in the region.
Matabeleland North Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Richard Moyo confirmed the development in an interview with Sunday News.
“The road (Bulawayo-Victoria Falls) is set to be redone, the whole road. We are going to give it a fresh look. This will be done very soon after the contractor, Bitumen World, has completed other projects in Harare.
“Work that was set to be done is currently on hold because they are doing some roads in Harare ahead of the Sadc Summit.
“So as soon as they are done with the work in Harare they head back for Matabeleland North where they will resume work,” said Minister Moyo.
He said another contractor has also been engaged to speed up the work.
“I understand another contractor will join Bitumen World so that the work is completed early enough. So we will know also about timelines as soon as both contractors are on the ground after the Sadc Summit road preparations are done. They can give us details on when exactly they will start and the expected time of project completion,” he said.
The minister said another important road that will be done is the Cross Dete-Binga Road which has been severely eroded over the years.
“The Cross Dete-Binga Road is also going to be done by this new contractor as it was long overdue. So these roads will get a facelift in no time and allow easy access by motorists and tourists,” added Minister Moyo.
He said the importance of the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road cannot be overemphasised in a province that is home to one of the world’s Seven Wonders, Victoria Falls — a tourist destination of note where thousands of local, regional, and international tourists visit annually.
“We also have Hwange National Park, the largest natural reserve in Zimbabwe which is Matabeleland North Province along the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Highway which is also a favourite of tourists from around the world.
“Binga District also lies within the same area and is a growing tourist destination that was being affected by the poor road networks. We hope all this is going to change as the road reconstruction project kicks off,” he said.
The minister however, lamented the presence of haulage trucks that ferry coal from the mining town of Hwange to various areas around the country and beyond that are causing much of the road damage. He called for legislation that brings sanity to the issue.
“Once this road is re-done we cannot continue doing the same things that damaged the roads, the haulage trucks that use this road to ferry coal need to be dealt with. We need legislation that will encourage the use of rail transport to ferry coal to various areas rather than using the road, the heavy trucks have severely damaged the road network and we need to ensure we do not do the same once the new road is constructed or we will have the same problem again,” added Minister Moyo.
Last week the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport and Infrastructure Development called on the Government to expedite the revival of the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ), saying its recapitalisation will save the country’s roads from being damaged by haulage trucks carrying heavy cargo.
The committee expressed concern over the bad state of the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Highway saying something needed to be done urgently. @NyembeziMu
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