Online Reporter
Freeman Razemba
Senior Reporter
TRANSPORT and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona will today commission the Manyame River Bridge, while the Mucheke River Bridge, also along the Harare-Masvingo-Beitbridge Highway corridor, will be opened to traffic on April 30.
The commissioning of the two bridges is expected to ease congestion, improve road safety and boost trade along one of Zimbabwe’s busiest transport corridors.
Government is also constructing a 36‑kilometre dual carriageway along the Harare-Masvingo-Beitbridge Highway from the Chartergrade area to Harare’s city centre, while plans are at an advanced stage to relocate the Skyline Tollgate.
The dualisation of the Harare-Beitbridge Road near the Manyame River forms part of a broader national highway upgrade programme. A 15km stretch from Chartergrade to just before the bridge was opened to traffic in July 2023.
Plans to relocate the Skyline Tollgate to the 36km peg along the Harare-Masvingo Road are now nearing completion. Tollgates are typically positioned beyond urban boundaries or between towns and cities to avoid the challenges posed by commuter traffic passing through toll points daily.
As part of works along the Harare-Masvingo-Beitbridge Highway, Government is dualising sections of the road as it approaches towns and high‑traffic areas. From Beitbridge, about 5km has already been dualised to the junction where the roads to Masvingo and Bulawayo split, while a 16km stretch between Ngundu Business Centre and Runde River is being dualised.
The Government has already completed the dualisation of a 20km stretch leading into Masvingo on the Harare-Masvingo Highway and is targeting 36km as the highway approaches Harare.
On the Harare-Beitbridge Highway, there are also plans to construct footbridges, with engineers from the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development already engaged. This will enable pedestrians to cross the highway safely, with schoolchildren crossing points receiving special priority.
The Ministry described the projects as a major milestone in the modernisation of Zimbabwe’s road network.
In a statement, the Ministry said: “Join us for the official opening of the Manyame River Bridge on the Harare-Masvingo-Beitbridge Road – a key milestone in the ongoing modernisation of Zimbabwe’s transport infrastructure.
“This strategic development will enhance road safety, improve traffic flow and facilitate efficient trade and mobility along this vital corridor.”
The Manyame River Bridge is a critical component of the wider Harare-Beitbridge Highway Rehabilitation Project, a key north-south trade route linking Zimbabwe to regional markets.
In Masvingo, construction of the Mucheke River Bridge is nearing completion. The bridge forms part of the Masvingo urban bypass and is expected to improve traffic flow within the city, strengthen regional connectivity and support local economic development.
The Ministry said the bridge projects form part of a nationwide drive to modernise transport infrastructure and improve efficiency along key trade and transit routes.
