Online Reporter
Sikhumbuzo Moyo [email protected]
THE Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development has opened another 9.2km stretch of the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road to traffic, bringing the total length of the rehabilitated highway now accessible to motorists to 68.4km.
The latest section, constructed by Syvern Investments, was officially opened on Thursday.
Speaking after the opening, the project engineer for the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road Rehabilitation Project, Engineer Xolani Ncube, said although progress had slowed in some sections, the seven contractors working on the project remained on course to meet their contractual deadlines.
“The 9.2km stretch by Syvern Investments that we have just opened today takes the total length of road opened to traffic to 68.4km. We are still confident that our contractors are on course to meet their deadlines,” said Eng Ncube.
The newly commissioned section brings Syvern Investments’ completed and trafficable road to 13.9km out of the 51km allocated to the contractor.
Syvern Investments project manager, Engineer Arnold Mutungwazi, said the contractor was making steady progress.
“To date, we have completed and opened 13.9km to traffic from the 51km stretch that was allocated to us,” he said.
Eng Ncube said Fossil Contracting has so far opened 6.2km to traffic, while Masimba Holdings has completed 10.3km, including carriageway lane markings.
“Bitumen Resources has opened 5.4km to traffic, Tensor Systems has completed 5.6km, while Asphalt Products and Bitumen World are yet to open any of their sections under this project to traffic. However, I must stress that part of the road is also being rehabilitated under the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme Phase 2, where Bitumen World is the main contractor.
Under that programme, Bitumen World has already opened 20.9km to traffic,” said Eng Ncube.
