daniel chigunwe
Freeman Razemba
Senior Reporter
Upgrading of major roads in Harare, including the access roads in Mount Hampden, is almost complete, while contractor Asphalt Products has started redoing a 1,5km section of Harare Drive after the Government flagged it for poor workmanship.
The contractor has so far covered about 1km of the works required between Sam Nujoma Street Extension and Alpes Road in Vainona, and is expected to complete the job by next Monday.
Recently, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona ordered another contractor, Fossil Contracting, to redo the resurfacing of Lorraine Drive, after substandard work saw the road caving in on many sections.
Fossil will redo Lorraine Drive after completing work on Nemakonde Way.
The Government this week said contractors who carried out shoddy jobs on roads would not receive payment until they had redone the work.
Contractors will only be paid after completing their work to the satisfaction of technical experts.
The Government has continued to make progress on road rehabilitation around Harare ahead of the 2024 SADC Summit to be held in the capital in August, with most major roads now rehabilitated over the past two or three years and work continuing on the feeder roads.
The Second Republic has put infrastructure development on top of its agenda and attention has been directed towards road rehabilitation and construction, which are at various stages.
Besides the widening, rebuilding and rehabilitation of roads, the Ministry is now paying attention to the maintenance aspects of fundamentally sound roads through periodic resurfacing so they remain sound. Such periodic maintenance can extend the life of a road for many years.
Asphalt-concrete overlays now include the main part of Samora Machel Avenue between the Jaggers and Kuwadzana roundabouts, Glenara Avenue between its southern tip at the Vitalis Zvinavashe Road roundabout to the junctions with Samora Machel Avenue and ED Mnangagwa Road, Chiremba Road through Braeside, Gamal Abdel Nasser Road between Robert Mugabe Road and Josiah Tongogara Avenue, older parts of Nemakonde Way between the Harare Drive and the Westgate roundabout to match the new dual carriageway, and Simon Muzenda Street from Robert Mugabe Road to Josiah Tongogara Avenue.
In a statement yesterday, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development confirmed that most of the major roads around the city had been brought up to standard, while others will be completed soon.
In the northwest, where the major access road to the new Parliament is under construction the ministry reported that “surfacing work on Boulevard Road is now complete, covering 5,7km of road surface and four lanes of traffic.
The next steps include final clearing and beautification, installation of street lighting, construction of ducts and road markings and vertical signs installation,” reads the statement.
The new 6km Boulevard Road stretches from Bindura Road to the New Parliament Building. The upgrading of a new single bridge along the Old Mazowe Road to four lanes was also underway, while a temporary bridge was under construction on one of the access roads.
“The Old Mazowe Road construction project is making great progress. Surfacing is currently underway from Westgate Traffic Circle. Laying of pavers and surfacing from the tollgate to the New Parliament roundabout along the Harare-Mazowe Road is currently underway.
“Great progress is being made on this project to improve road networks and enhance connectivity,” the Ministry said.
A section of Sam Nujoma Street Extension between Cork Road and Josiah Tongogara Avenue is also now open to traffic and on the ongoing works, the ministry is working on installing kerbs along the road to improve safety and accessibility.
A walkway is being constructed along the road to ensure safe passage for pedestrians.
Road construction is also currently underway on Solomon Mujuru Road (formerly Kirkman Road) from Presidential Guard to the Harare-Bulawayo Road.
Online Reporter