Govt embarks on roads facelift

Government says it will now focus on finding partners to upgrade the Harare-Nyamapanda and the Beitbridge-Bulawayo-Victoria Falls highways, after sealing a deal for the dualisation of the Harare-Beitbridge road last week.Government last Wednesday signed an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract with Austrian firm Geiger International for the construction of the Beitbridge-Harare segment of the Beitbridge-Harare-Chirundu highway.

The road will be constructed over three years at a cost of $984 million under a 25-year Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) model.

Transport and Infrastructure Development Minister Jorum Gumbo said the projects will be implemented with the main aim of facilitating regional trade.

“My ministry will now focus on the Beitbridge-Bulawayo-Victoria Falls corridor and the Harare-Nyamapanda road,” he said.

“This will effectively open the North-South corridor and also the trade route with Mozambique and Malawi.”

Minister Gumbo said the feasibility studies for the upgrading of the Beitbridge-Bulawayo-Victoria Falls road were expected to be completed in the next two months.

Minister Gumbo said this was in pursuit of goals set under the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation.

The Government has embarked on a massive road rehabilitation and upgrading exercise and has already completed the Plumtree-Harare-Mutare highway at a cost of $206 million.

It is also about to conclude a contract with China Harbour Engineering Company which won the tender to construct the Harare-Chirundu highway under a loan financing model. — New Ziana.