The construction of the Lupane-Nkayi-Kwekwe road is being undertaken by a private company, Road Trackers Construction under the Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) arrangement. Under the model, Road Trackers Construction will hand over the road to Government after an agreed period when it has recouped its costs from tolling fees.
The company expects to open about 20km to traffic by the end of the year.
The project, which is expected to be completed in five years, will reduce the travelling distance between Harare and Victoria Falls by 170km as motorists will turn into the new road in Kwekwe and then join the Bulawayo- Victoria Falls Highway in Lupane.
What this means is that motorists from Harare, Chegutu, Kadoma, Kwekwe and even Gweru intending to travel to Victoria Falls can join the short route in Kwekwe and drive straight to Lupane
to join the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Highway.
Road Trackers Construction is probably the second private company to construct a major road under BOT.
The other company is Zwane Enterprises Private Limited which last year signed an agreement with Government to upgrade the 120km Old Gwanda Road.
There was a hive of activity to prepare for the massive upgrade of the road last year but at the moment not much is being done.
It is our fervent hope that if there are any teething problems that have stalled works on the Old Gwanda Road, there will be resolved soon. Work on the Lupane-Nkayi-Kwekwe Road is however, progressing well and Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona who toured the road recently said he was confident work will be completed within the stipulated five years.
He said Government was happy with the pace at which work was progressing.
“This was a gravel road which means it is as good as constructing a new road and we want to commend the company for working hard to ensure the project remains on schedule,” said Minister Mhona.
We want, at this juncture, to call on other companies to come on board and complement Government efforts to upgrade and rehabilitate the country’s road network.
Some sections of our highways are in a deplorable state hence the need for more companies to come on board and reconstruct the roads under BOT. Government which has declared the
country’s road network a state of disaster, has many competing priorities and as such cannot mobilise adequate resources to upgrade all the highways.
A good road network obviously impacts positively to economic growth as it improves the efficient movement of goods and services and that is what Government and the private sector should strive for.
