Online Reporter
Freeman Razemba
Senior Reporter
ZIMBABWE’S national road modernisation drive is gaining momentum, with major projects across several provinces nearing completion or recording steady progress, promising improved connectivity, reduced travel times and expanded economic opportunities.
In Masvingo Province, the construction of Mucheke River Bridge, also known as the Chevron Bridge, along the Masvingo urban bypass is almost complete, with contractors now applying final finishing touches.
Once fully commissioned, the upgraded bridge is expected to significantly improve traffic flow and enhance connectivity within the city and surrounding areas.
Elsewhere in the country, work on the 65-kilometre Gwanda-Maphisa Road in Matabeleland South Province is progressing steadily, with priming currently underway.
The project, which is set to unlock economic potential and improve mobility across the province, is a key legacy initiative ahead of Matabeleland South’s hosting of the 2026 main Independence Day celebrations.
Initial works on the first 10-kilometre stretch of the Gwanda-Maphisa Road have already commenced, marking tangible progress on a route long regarded as vital for regional trade, tourism and agricultural development.
The road upgrade forms part of Government’s broader devolution agenda, aimed at ensuring that infrastructure development reaches all provinces equitably.
In a statement, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development confirmed the developments, saying priming works marked an important milestone in the project.
“Another step forward. Priming is currently underway on the Gwanda–Maphisa Road construction project. This crucial work sets the stage for a smoother, stronger road ahead,” the ministry said.
Upon completion, the road is expected to significantly reduce travel time between Gwanda and surrounding districts such as Matobo, while providing seamless access to key economic hubs including the ARDA Antelope Estate, the Makwe Irrigation Scheme and major tourist attractions.
It will also offer the shortest route to Maphisa for travellers from Gwanda, Beitbridge and Masvingo, strengthening intra-district connectivity and opening new business opportunities in mining, agriculture and tourism.
The upgraded road is also expected to improve access to healthcare, education and markets for rural communities by linking them more directly to the provincial capital.
The Gwanda-Maphisa Road is one of several major infrastructure projects underway in Matabeleland South, alongside the Plumtree-Maitengwe Road and the Beitbridge-Bulawayo Highway.
Together, these projects form a central pillar of the Second Republic’s infrastructure-led economic development strategy.
Government has previously noted that the rotational hosting of national events has become a powerful equaliser, ensuring that legacy projects associated with such events deliver lasting development benefits to communities that were previously marginalised.
Meanwhile, rehabilitation and widening works on the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road are also progressing well.
To date, 25,3km of the road have been completed and opened to traffic, while construction continues on the remaining 415,1 kilometres.
Eight contractors are undertaking different sections of the project.
