Online Reporter
Patrick Chitumba, [email protected]
GWERU City Council (GCC) has launched a US$250 000 road rehabilitation programme in the central business district (CBD), with work on 8th Street expected to improve traffic flow, road safety and accessibility in the city centre.
The 8th Street overlay project is part of the council’s wider plan to rehabilitate Gweru’s deteriorating road network, with all CBD roads targeted for phased rehabilitation.
The programme is funded through internal resources remitted from City Parking funds, while the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) provides technical support.
The ongoing works are part of efforts to address the city’s road infrastructure deficit and restore key transport corridors as Gweru’s commercial and economic activities expand.
Council recently rehabilitated 6th Street, with roads engineer Eng Edwin Matirongo saying the projects were aimed at improving road conditions and making the CBD safer for motorists and pedestrians.
“The overlay along 8th Street, among other streets, is ongoing. We urge motorists to exercise caution when approaching these roads and to co-operate with our teams on the ground,” he said.
The rehabilitation works have resulted in temporary road closures and traffic restrictions in several parts of the city centre.
According to a council public notice dated September 16, affected areas include RG Mugabe
Avenue, from Dulys Workshop to the 9th Street intersection and 8th Street between Lobengula
Avenue and L Takawira Avenue.
The Revenue Hall parking area, L Takawira Avenue between 6th Street and ED Mnangagwa Street in Morrah, TM Rank and the TM Vendors Island area are also affected.
Eng Matirongo said the council was committed to rehabilitating the entire CBD road network, but the programme would be implemented in phases because of funding constraints
“The process of ensuring that all the roads in the CBD are attended to is going to be done in a phased approach, depending on the availability of resources,” he said.
Eng Matirongo said the local authority would continue prioritising and rolling out roadworks as funds became available.
“The road rehabilitation programme is expected to improve the movement of people and goods within the CBD while reducing the damage caused to vehicles by potholes and other road defects,” he said.
Gweru Residents Trust acting chairperson Mr Obvious Gonamombe welcomed the rehabilitation programme, saying improved roads were essential to the effective functioning of the city.
“For businesses operating in the city centre, improved roads could also help create a more accessible trading environment, while better-maintained streets are expected to enhance pedestrian safety and the general appearance of the CBD,” he said.
Mr Gonamombe urged the council to extend the programme to high-density suburbs, where motorists and residents were also grappling with extensive potholes.
He said road rehabilitation should be broad-based to ensure that communities outside the CBD also benefited from improved infrastructure.
Gweru Residents and Ratepayers Association director Mr Cornilius Silipiwe also welcomed the project, saying the rehabilitation of CBD roads would improve movement and make the streets more accessible.
However, he urged council to reconsider the use of gravel as a road rehabilitation method, arguing that it was not durable and could create additional drainage problems.
“Gravel or grey tar can’t be used in the rehabilitation of potholes since the gravel deteriorates quickly and could be washed into drainage systems, potentially clogging drains and culverts and creating further maintenance challenges,” he said.
