Chronicle Editor
Kudzai Chikiwa, Chronicle Reporter
THE Government has allocated an additional RTGS$6 million towards the upgrading of the Bulawayo-Tsholotsho Road under the Road Development Programme, a Cabinet Minister has said.
Speaking in Parliament last week, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Joe Biggie Matiza said the money was over and above last year’s RTGS$7 million which was allocated for the project.
Minister Matiza said the money would be used to finance the construction of five kilometres of the road.
“The existing Bulawayo-Tsholotsho Road was awarded funding in 2018 for upgrading under the Road Development Programme to the tune of $7 million and another $6 million in 2019. The funding has been estimated to finance the construction of five kilometres of road to surface standard,” he said.
Minister Matiza said the upgrading of the road is going to be advertised soon so as to engage private contractors to implement the work.
He said to keep the road trafficable, the re-gravelling and grading of the road shoulders was done in 2018.
“Part of the work was done but the progress of the road upgrading will depend on the rate at which funding is availed by Treasury,” the Minister said.
Minister Matiza said 118 kilometres of the Tsholotsho-Lupane Road has been surfaced.
“The road has not received an allocation in the current Road Development Programme but remains a high priority. In the mean time, the gravel section is included in the plans of my Department of Roads before the end of 2019 in order to keep the road trafficable,” he said.—@tamary98
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