Online Reporter
Samuel Kadungure
News Editor
THE blasting of a 240 metre wide mountain — already cut 14 metres across and nine metres deep — is in full swing as rubble is cleared and pile foundations are sunk to anchor two trumpet interchanges at either end of the Christmas Pass Bypass Road.
This ambitious project is designed to enhance road safety and streamline transport efficiency in Mutare.
First proposed in 1992, the bypass will skirt through Feruka on the outskirts of Mutare’s Central Business District, carrying haulage trucks along the Beira Corridor en-route to Mozambique’s Port of Beira, as well as Zambia, Malawi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Crucially, it will divert heavy traffic away from the accident prone Christmas Pass, long regarded as a danger zone for motorists.
On Wednesday, Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development assistant resident engineer, Rutendo Takombwa, together with engineers from Leengate Private Limited, led our news crew on a tour of the 19km stretch from Mutare Teachers’ College to Romeo Turn off.
The site revealed structured engineering work progressing on multiple fronts: mountain blasting and trenching, pile foundation drilling for two interchanges, and construction of five bridges alongside 50 culvert crossings — 24 of which have already been completed.
The Christmas Pass Bypass is more than a road project; it is a transformative infrastructure development poised to redefine Mutare’s transport network and regional connectivity in line with President Mnangagwa’s mantra of leaving no one and no place behind in the quest to attain Vision 2030.
Leengate engineers are also trenching a mountain in the Nyakamete Industrial Area to ensure a flat alignment and avoid steep gradients similar to those at Christmas Pass, which have been blamed for numerous accidents involving heavily laden trucks.
A yellow drill rig was sinking pile holes at Mutare Teachers’ College after finishing similar works at Romeo, and expected to move to the Sakubva River Bridge, advancing a decades-old plan to upgrade the flyover structure that has become a bottleneck for motorists on the Mutare–Chimanimani Highway.
Works varied by section. Some areas have been cleared, others have the road bed prepared, and some have gravel dumped for pavement layers. Several sections have reached subgrade level.
Road bed preparation involves clearing, excavating, filling and grading to create a stable base. Subgrade preparation compacts and trims the top layer to support the pavement. Two further layers will follow. Together, the road bed and subgrade form a strong foundation that ensures even weight distribution, prevents settlement or erosion, and extends the road’s lifespan.
Engineer Takombwa said the 31,2km Christmas Pass Bypass project is 36 percent complete, and is scheduled to open to traffic in mid-2027.
Leengate Private Limited site engineer, Engineer Winnie Nyamandwe, said blasting of a mountain about 1,2km from Romeo Turn-off has been under way for the past six months.
“We have a mountain that is 240 metres wide and 11 metres deep from the peak. So far we have blasted nine metres deep using explosives,” said Engineer Nyamandwe, adding that blasting takes place once or twice a week because the site is adjacent to an active road serving Grand Reef Airport.
“We need to be careful about timing. We normally blast when there is no movement — when schoolchildren are home and there is no traffic along the airport route. We started blasting this mountain last year, and we still have a month to go to reach the required base level. Given the magnitude of the project, delays cannot be avoided. Last week, we had an issue with explosives supply, so no blasting took place, but it has since resumed and is in full swing. We blasted yesterday (Tuesday), and as you can see the debris is being loaded into tipper trucks for disposal,” said Engineer Nyamandwe, adding that safety measures include sirens and road closures during blasts.
“When we are blasting, we use sirens, and block all access roads leading to the site to prevent movement within the vicinity,” she said, adding that Zesa technicians are also advised to switch off electricity in the area.
“The first blast we had last year almost interfered with one of the powerlines. As a precaution, we ensure the electricity is switched off,” said Engineer Nyamandwe.
She added that this is the only mountain that will be cut.
“There is no other mountain that we are going to cut through. This is the only site we had to excavate to ground level to create a smooth traffic flow and avoid steep-slope-related accidents currently experienced at Christmas Pass,” she said.
At Romeo, technically referred to as chainage zero — the point where the new road begins — construction of a trumpet interchange with five ramps has commenced.
“The interchange will have five ramps. Ramp five will cater for vehicles from Nyanga and Penhalonga travelling to Mutare, while ramp four will be used by trucks from Mutare heading to Harare. On the left side of the existing Harare –Mutare Highway is ramp three, which will be used by trucks from Harare to Mutare. This is where the overhead bridge will join the new road,” explained Engineer Nyamandwe.
A drill rig observed at the site last week has since relocated to Mutare Teachers’ College after drilling 24 holes for the pile foundations.
“We have sunk 12 piles on each side of the existing main road. We will first construct the pile foundations at the base, then place a pile cap, followed by piers, and finally the bridge deck,” she said.
Engineer Nyamandwe said the concrete works require a minimum of 21 days’ curing before the next stage can proceed.
Engineer Takombwa said the new design will resolve traffic conflicts and ensure smooth flow at the interchange.
“Traffic travelling from Harare to Mutare will not be affected, unless they are haulage trucks that will be diverted to this bypass route, as well as vehicles headed to Grand Reef Airport. This road will help minimise accidents currently occurring on the curves and steep slopes of the Christmas Pass,” she said, adding that the alignment is being levelled to eliminate steep gradients.
“We are trying as much as we can to make sure that the terrain is flat and smooth by levelling all steep slopes along the route. Along the stretch, some sites have mountains, but the design avoids the steep slopes we have at Christmas Pass. The contractor is cutting the mountains to reduce the gradient and make it as flat as possible,” she said, adding that excavated material is being reused.
“At the moment we are depositing it just close by, within 100 metres of the road. This is good material, so we are using some of it to fill the road as well. We are also using some of the material for our own road maintenance works, including maintaining the shoulders of Grand Reef Road,” said Engineer Takombwa.
She said when the interchange works began, key stakeholders were engaged.
“We engaged Zesa, TelOne, Liquid Technologies, Afrinet and Mutare City Council. We have also relocated an electricity transformer that was here, and rerouted power and telephone lines so that we can carry out work without interrupting key services for local residents,” she said, adding that more than 100 locals have also been employed by the constructor.
Engineer Takombwa said a tollgate will be introduced about four kilometres from the start of the road.
“We already have one linking the Harare–Mutare Road, so motorists using this route will also have access to it,” she said, adding that the road will be 12,5 metres wide, making it a dual carriageway.
“It will be wide enough to accommodate the traffic since it will be used mostly by heavy traffic, but small cars can use it as well. The width provides two lanes in each direction for traffic. The difference in width means we will accommodate a double lane for those coming to and leaving Mutare. All I can say is the works are in progress and being carried out concurrently. We are now at 36 percent and we look forward to finishing this project by mid-2027,” said Engineer Takombwa.
