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Michael Magoronga, Midlands Correspondent
MIDLANDS Province needs an additional $40 million for the completion of road reconstruction works that kicked off last year as the Government sought to upgrade infrastructure across the country.
Last year, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development embarked on a massive road construction project which targeted a number of roads across the country.
Midlands received $19 million from Government for the rehabilitation programme that targeted Mberengwa-West Nicholson, Mberengwa-Mataga, Kwekwe-Nkayi as well as Gokwe-Siyabhuwa roads.
While significant strides have been made in the first two projects, work has stalled on the Kwekwe-Nkayi and Gokwe-Siyabhuwa projects with surfacing still to be done almost a year down the line owing to shortage of resources.
Provincial Roads Engineer Denis Mapfurira confirmed that work had stalled as the money budgeted had been overtaken by events and more funding was needed for the completion of the projects.
“The funding we received from Government last year has since been overtaken by events. Prices and rates have since gone up and that has resulted in some of our projects failing to be completed.
“We are yet to surface the two projects, but once we get more funding I assure you that we can complete the projects in no time,” said Eng Mapfurira.
“We received a total of $7 million for the Kwekwe-Nkayi project which has since been stalled by the lack of funding.
“We are now failing to complete the project because the money that we received last year is no longer enough to complete the project.
“As for the Gokwe project, we last received an allocation last year in March. We are therefore hoping that in the supplementary budget we will be able to get an allocation so that we complete the projects,” he said.
He said he was hoping that if the province gets about $40 million, the two projects would be completed.
Eng Mapfurira also said road maintenance had also been stopped.
“We last carried out road maintenance a long time ago. We are therefore hoping that we get an allocation fast to enable us to service some of the roads before the rainy season.
Even if we were to get an allocation today, it would be difficult that we promise that the project would be completed before the rainy season due to the fact that there are procurement procedures to be followed that consume a little bit of some time. That is not to say the funding should stop but if we get the funding we will do our best to surface the roads,” he said.
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