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Samuel Kadungure
Senior Reporter
CABINET has announced that plans are afoot to construct a 26-kilometre Christmas Pass By-Pass Road that will serve as an alternative route in and out of Mutare.
The development, to be implemented through a proposed partnership between the Government and a private contractor — Leengate Private Limited — has been necessitated by relentless accidents on the Christmas Pass.
The Christmas Pass has become a deathtrap as haulage trucks carrying heavy loads often struggle to descend the steep slopes, with brake failure and jackknifes a common occurrences.
Barely a week passes without an accident being recorded on the Christmas Pass.
A family staying near the round-about along Robert Mugabe and Kumbirai Kangai (Aerodrome) roads lives in perpetual fear of being wiped out as heavy trucks that would have developed brake failure often fly down the Christmas Pass slopes and crush into the property.
This bolsters calls by stakeholders in Manicaland for the construction of the alternative route to reduce the accidents.
The by-pass road, which will pass through Feruka on the outskirts of Mutare central business district (CBD), was proposed in 1992 for use by haulage trucks.
Most trucks passing through Mutare using the Beira Corridor will be destined for Mozambique, the Port of Beira, as well as Zambia, Malawi and DRC.
Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister, Honourable Felix Mhona on Tuesday presented to Cabinet a proposed partnership between the Government and Leengate Pvt Ltd, which will construct the 26km Mutare By-Pass Road.
This was confirmed by Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Senator Monica Mutsvangwa, in a Post-Cabinet briefing on Tuesday.
“Cabinet received reports on progress made in the implementation of priority projects for the first 100-day cycle of 2023. Cabinet considered and approved the process of negotiations with the companies as follows — proposed partnership between Government and Leengate Pvt. Ltd on the Mutare By-Pass (Christmas Pass) Project.
“The project will see the construction of a 26 kilometre by-pass road by Leengate Pvt. Ltd. The new road will access Forbes Border Post and relieve congestion on the Christmas Pass Road which has become unsafe owing to inadequate carrying capacity and its deteriorating state. The work will be carried over a period of 12 months.
“The nation is being informed that Government will leverage on local resources and ingenuity to speed up the upgrading and modernisation of the country’s road network,” said Sen Mutsvangwa.
Director of Roads Construction and Maintenance in the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development, Engineer Jarawani Kangara said the by-pass road was long overdue and a panacea to problems being experienced at the Christmas Pass.
“Following the Cabinet approval on Tuesday, the Transport Minister shall address all the issues pertaining to the deal at the appropriate time. The bypass project is long overdue, it is a very important project and a lasting solution to the accidents frequently happening at the Christmas Pass,” said Eng Kangara.
Secretary for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Mr Edgars Seenza said the project will not only trigger economic growth, but also improve public services, trafficability and safety, as well as promote investment and foreign currency generation.
“This will precisely help to reduce on-transit haulage truck accidents at the Christmas Pass and decongest the CBD in Mutare. A lot of accidents associated with haulage trucks’ brake failure and jerk knifing have been reported on both sides of the Christmas Pass, and the bypass road is what the doctor has prescribed,” he said.
Mr Seenza said it was even better that the by-pass project will be interwoven with the recently approved Forbes Cabinet okays Christmas Pass bypass road deal Border Post modernisation project as well as the construction of a new dry port to improve efficiency in the clearing of cargo at the border.
About 300 trucks are cleared at the port of entry on a daily basis, and at times, congestion becomes the order of the day, with long winding queues stretching for more than 10km to Mutare Polytechnic, thereby causing congestion on the Mutare CBD’s feeder roads.
Currently, the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority is operating from five different sites, thereby creating inefficiencies at the border.
The project will also be in sync with the smart city concept being championed by the Second Republic.
“The by-pass road, the facelift of the border post and the construction of the dry port will add to the economic development of the province and improvement its Gross Domestic Product. The impact of these infrastructure development projects will be felt and enjoyed by everyone,” said Mr Seenza.
He said the by-pass road will also help in decongesting the Mutare CBD and create a shorter route to Chikanga, Dangamvura, Marange, Masvingo and the Beira Corridor, among others.
Acting Mutare City Council Town Clerk, Mr Blessing Chafesuka, recently also pointed out the need to urgently work on the Christmas by-pass.
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