Online Reporter
Freeman Razemba
Senior Reporter
THE Mbudzi Interchange, which is set to be renamed Trabablas Interchange upon completion, is now set to be opened in less than two weeks.
The US$88 million Mbudzi Interchange is at the intersection of Simon Mazorodze Road, Chitungwiza Road and High Glen Road in Harare.
Funding for the project is being done through local financial institutions, three contractors Tensor Systems, Fossil Contracting and Masimba Construction are jointly constructing the interchange under the banner of Tefoma Construction joint venture.
The old Mbudzi roundabout had become a major vehicle traffic choke-point in southern Harare before the Government committed resources to turn it into an interchange, as the Second Republic continues to upgrade infrastructure to cope with modern demands and trends.
Some of the benefits of the project include the decongestion of the Mbudzi area by creating streamlined and efficient traffic flow and reducing transit time and accidents in the area.
Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona confirmed that preparations are now underway to commission the interchange.
President Mnangagwa will officially open the newly constructed interchange. Minister Mhona revealed this while addressing at the 46th Association of Southern Africa Road Agencies (ASANRA) board and committee meetings in Harare.
The meeting is being attended by chief executive officers, engineers and technocrats from SADC member states including Namibia, Zambia, Malawi, Botswana, Angola, Tanzania, South Africa, Mozambique, Lesotho, and Eswatini.
“As Zimbabwe, we are playing our part in enhancing connectivity and competitiveness along the North-South Road Corridor,” said Minister Mhona.
“As part of such efforts, we have upgraded infrastructure such as border posts, interchanges and bridges along the grand road corridor. On 31 August 2022, we launched the Beitbridge Border Post Upgrading and Modernisation Project. This border lies on a very strategic location along the North-South Road corridor. Indeed, the importance of the Beitbridge Border Post to the country and the region as a whole cannot be over emphasised.
“It is the busiest regional transit link in Southern and Eastern Africa, connecting South Africa and Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Malawi and Tanzania. As a result of this upgradation, the border’s handling capacity has increased exponentially over the years, handling thousands of trucks and buses, and tens of thousands of people travelling on light vehicles.
“We have also poured local resources in rehabilitating, widening and modernising the 580 km Beitbridge-Harare Road, a crucial artery of the North-South road Corridor which is nearing completion. We are determined to complete the remaining 350 km stretch from Harare to Chirundu at our boarder with Zambia. “Along the Beitbridge Chirundu Road, we are modernising bridges into state-of-the-art interchanges to ensure seamless transit facilitation, as the corridor passes through cities. Further, Zimbabwe will officially launch one of the biggest and modern interchanges along the corridor, called Trabablas Interchange in two weeks to come.”
