Sikhumbuzo Moyo, [email protected]
ROAD TRACKERS Construction, the contractor undertaking the Lupane-Nkayi-Kwekwe Road project, is expected to open another 10km stretch of the highway to traffic before the end of the year, with between 50km and 60km targeted for completion in 2027.
The project is part of the Government’s efforts to develop alternative transport routes, strengthen national connectivity and improve the movement of people and goods across the country.
Last month, 10km of the road was opened to traffic, marking progress on a strategic infrastructure project expected to reduce the travelling distance between Harare and Victoria Falls by about 170km, as motorists will no longer have to travel through Bulawayo.
The development is expected to strengthen connectivity between the Midlands and Matabeleland North provinces while opening up communities along the Lupane-Nkayi-Kwekwe corridor to improved road access and economic opportunities.
The highway will provide a shorter alternative for motorists travelling between Harare and Victoria Falls or Hwange, potentially reducing travelling times and vehicle operating costs while easing pressure on existing highways.
The project is being implemented through a public-private partnership between Government and the local contractor under a Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) arrangement. Under the model, the private partner finances, constructs and operates the infrastructure before transferring it to Government after an agreed period.
The arrangement enables Government to undertake major infrastructure projects through private-sector investment without depending entirely on immediate Treasury funding.
The highway is also expected to provide an alternative route for motorists travelling between Kwekwe and Victoria Falls without passing through Bulawayo. It could ease congestion along the
Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road, particularly if haulage trucks transporting coal from Hwange to Harare begin using the new corridor.
The project is expected to improve the movement of goods and services, particularly for businesses in the mining, agriculture and tourism sectors, which depend on reliable road infrastructure to transport products and access markets.
Communities along the route are also expected to benefit from improved access to essential services, including health facilities, schools and commercial centres, while increased economic activity could create further opportunities for local businesses.
Speaking during a tour of the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls and Lupane-Nkayi-Kwekwe roads last Friday, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona, accompanied by
Matabeleland North Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Richard Moyo, said construction was progressing well and remained on schedule.
“We have been promised that next year the contractor will open between 50km and 60km of the road to traffic. This is over and above the 20km that will be opened this year. Remember, 10km is already trafficable,” said Minister Mhona.
He said the project’s funding model would ensure that the contractor did not encounter payment challenges, giving Government confidence that construction would be completed within the stipulated five-year period.
Minister Mhona said the contractor was also expected to resume construction from the Kwekwe side, allowing work to progress from both ends of the project and accelerating the opening of additional sections.
“Works will soon be resuming from the Kwekwe side. So far, we are happy as Government, especially considering the fact that this is literally a new road. It was just a gravel road with no tar, but thanks to the Second Republic under the astute leadership of President Mnangagwa, we have this development,” said Minister Mhona.
The Lupane-Nkayi-Kwekwe Road is among the major infrastructure projects expected to transform national connectivity by providing alternative routes to established highways and reducing travelling distances between major economic and tourism centres.
Once completed, the road is expected to become an important transport corridor linking the Midlands and Matabeleland North provinces while providing motorists with a more direct route between Harare and Victoria Falls.
