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Conrad Mupesa Mashonaland West Bureau
The contractor of the 60km Alaska-Copper Queen Road has completed the regravelling of the first 22km, with tarring expected to commence next month.
The road is among the Second Republic’s key roads primed for upgrade, whose completion will spur economic, social and transport developments in line with Vision 2030 and National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1).
Government’s provincial roads engineer, Stewart Gomo, said works on the road that shortens the distance between Mashonaland West and Midlands provinces was partially stalled by the anticipated effects of Cyclone Ana.
The road shortens the distance from Harare to Nembudziya, Gokwe North district’s major centre, by over 100 kilometres as compared to using the Harare-Chegutu-Kadoma-Sanyati Road.
“The contractor has completed regravelling of the first 22km and now working on the culverts,” said Engineer Gomo. “We are now in the process of procurement for the tarring of the road targeting the first five kilometres. Tarring is expected to start this March.”
Transport and Infrastructural Development Deputy Minister, Mike Madiro, toured the road in December last year accompanied by Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Deputy Minister, Kindness Paradza and District Development Fund (DDF) permanent secretary, Christopher Shumba, where a stretch of about 15km had been fully regravelled.
“We had to close from mid-December to mid-January during the annual shutdown of the construction industry while the effects of Cyclone Ana also stalled progress. I can say in confidence that the contractor is on schedule,” said Eng Gomo.
The road passes through Makonde constituency where Deputy Minister Paradza is legislator.
Deputy Minister Paradza said earlier that the road’s upgrade was going to improve movement, adding that various transporters contracted to transport inputs and food aid were shunning the route because of its bad state.
The villagers were failing to access grain, forcing many into a quandary.
He said before the regravelling of the 22 kilometres, farmers and ordinary people were being charged at least US$7 for a 24km distance, owing to the bad state of the roads.
Online Reporter