Online Reporter
Freeman Razemba
Senior Reporter
GOVERNMENT is in the process of recapitalising the Department of Roads to upscale road construction and maintenance efforts towards Vision 2030, by constructing asphalt plants in all the country’s 10 provinces.
The Department of Roads falls under the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development.
Plans are underway to equip all the provinces with asphalt plants, which will be used for the production of a premix, used for road reseals and pothole patching in the maintenance of roads.
Asphalt refers to a combination of bitumen (tar), sand, cement, and some chemical additives that are mixed together at high temperatures, depending on engineers’ specifications, and are used for major construction projects.
So far construction of an asphalt plant is at an advanced stage in Harare (Skyline area).
In a statement, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development confirmed the developments.
“The Government of Zimbabwe, through the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, is in the process of recapitalising the Department of Roads to upscale road construction and maintenance efforts towards Vision 2030. The installation of an asphalt plant under Harare Metropolitan Province is in progress at Skyline.
“The asphalt plant will be used for the production of premix used for road reseals and pothole patching in the maintenance of roads. The plant also boasts a capacity to supply the seal for major construction works.
“The recapitalisation exercise will see each of the 10 provinces being equipped with an asphalt plant,” said the ministry.
The development comes at a time Government is considering taking over the management of all roads from local authorities as part of measures to address the widespread dilapidation of the country’s road network, particularly in opposition run local authorities.
Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona told Senate recently that his ministry was seeking to assume control of main roads, trunk roads and all roads within cities and towns currently under the purview of city councils and rural district councils.
The proposal, which would require Parliamentary approval, was presented as a solution to poor coordination, shoddy workmanship and a lack of engineering expertise at local level.
In February, the Government also started resuscitating all Road Maintenance Units countrywide to ensure that all the roads that were rehabilitated under the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme Phase 2 remain in good condition.
The 108 maintenance units fall under the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development and were launched by Minister Mhona in Harare.
This came after Zinara recently secured two million litres of fuel to support road authorities in their projects countrywide.
