Chronicle Editor
Michael Makuza, Business Reporter
PLANS are underway to transform the Kwekwe-Nkayi-Lupane Road into a major highway that will bolster trade and commerce with positive impact on tourism and social communication, a Cabinet minister has said.
The feeder road is already part of Government’s emergency roads rehabilitation programme whose transformation is expected to contribute towards establishment of world class roads infrastructure in line with the country vision of attaining an upper middle-income economy status by 2030.
Responding to question time in Parliament recently, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister, Felix Mhona, said the Kwekwe-Nkayi-Lupane Road, which links the Midlands Province to Matabeleland North Province was critical to the national economy.
“The Kwekwe-Nkayi-Lupane Road is a national trunk route linking Midlands Province to Matabeleland North Province and is vital for trade and commerce, tourism and social communication for the locals and Zimbabweans in general,” he said.
The minister said the road was under maintenance but indicated that going forward the ministry was aiming at transforming it into a modern highway.
“Under National Development Strategy 1, in which road infrastructure development is recognised as a backbone of economic growth, the ministry is finalising a Public Private Partnership arrangement for transforming the trunk route into a modern highway,” said Minister Mhona.
In order to speed up progress on the on-going rehabilitation works, he said Government has directed the National Oil Infrastructure Company (NOIC) and CMED to avail fuel for the rehabilitation project to enable contractors to meet set targets under the emergency roads rehabilitation programme (ERRP2).
Meanwhile, the Second Republic is also spearheading massive roads rehabilitation works in different parts of the country with the Harare-Masvingo-Beitbridge Highway widening, reconstruction and rehabilitation project being one of the top priorities.
Government is also rehabilitating other roads linking into cities and those in urban cities are also being rehabilitated under the ERRP2.
In his mid-term budget review Finance and Economic Development Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube allocated an additional $33 billion towards roads rehabilitation.
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