New bridge to link Zim, Zam and Moza

Golden Sibanda Senior Property Reporter
A CONSULTANT has started working on a feasibility study on a proposed Y-link bridge that will connect Zimbabwe with Zambia and Mozambique through Kanyemba, as well as create the shortest route linking Zimbabwe with central Africa. Already, Zambia and Mozambique have upgraded their road infrastructure linking their main-land with their border towns sharing the boundary with Kanyemba at the northern most tip of Zimbabwe in Mashonaland Central Province.

Provincial road engineer for Mashonaland Central, Engineer Ernest Shenje, confirmed to The Herald Property Guide that the feasibility study, funded by the Government of Japan, for the Y-link bridge project was already underway. The infrastructure will enhance trade between the three Southern African countries as well as the rest of Africa. “A feasibility study on the Y-link Bridge is currently ongoing to link Zimbabwe, Zambia and Mozambique,” he said.

Only after the study, will costing of the project be done for estimates on how much will be required for the bridge,” he said. The bridge will complete a strategically important corridor into central Africa from Harare, 350km to Kanyemba. The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority closed the border because the law did not allow offloading of goods in-transit, the case with Kanyemba, which used canoes or boats to cross riparian river, Zambezi, to connect Zimbabwe with either Zambia or Mozambique, as the closed border post area has no bridge.

The closure of Kanyemba as a transit border post has seen business, and life coming to a virtual standstill. Eng Shenje said the completion of works to reopen Kanyemba Border Post, would transform the area economically and make it land linked instead of land locked. Zambia and Mozambique are ready to exploit opportunities the link with Zimbabwe through Kanyemba will create.

“Beyond our borders, colleagues in Zambia have constructed a highway to the Zambezi River at Luangwa. On a similar note, I am informed that Mozambique is busy on her side, hence the completion of works at Kanyemba border post will transform Kanyemba area from being land locked to being land-linked,” Eng Shenje said in an interview.

However, initial works to improve connectivity with Zambia and Mozambique through Kanyemba will entail construction of a Pontoon landing Bay, which is expected to start tomorrow and should be completed by end of the year. “Currently, we are constructing a 3,5km approach road to the Pontoon Landing Bay to bituminous surface, which we expect to complete by year end.

The construction of the landing Bay is expected to start on 1st of November, 2017 and be completed by year end. Grading of the gravel section is in progress and we expect to complete by mid November.”

Rehabilitation of part of the Harare- Kanyemba corridor is already underway, with 5 kilometres of the worst section having been completed while final clearing was in progress for the reseal and shoulder gravel of an 11 kilometre stretch of the Guruve-Mahuwe section. Government has also re-gravelled 13km of the Mahuwe-Mushumbi section while doing routine maintenance such as pothole patching, bush clearing, grass cutting, drain clearing and bridge inspection and maintenance, as efforts to make all areas in Mashonaland Central Province accessible.