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Ivan Zhakata Herald Correspondent
THE ongoing Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme, has seen roundabouts being improved in a move that will ease congestion in urban areas.
The large amount of work done under the central Government programme has seen most arterial roads now fixed in towns and cities, with work progressing on the loop roads.
In Harare, this has now seen work being done on Masotsha Ndlovu Way across southern Harare, and Prince Edward Street and Connaught Road, one road running through Milton Park to Avondale, being upgraded as well.
Traffic circles are included in the emergency programme as they help reduce congestion.
Leengate Civil Engineering Contractors were awarded the tender to upgrade roundabouts by the Government and have so far completed the upgrade of the High Glen traffic circle.
They are putting slip lanes to allow vehicles that will be turning left to avoid entering the traffic circle, thereby easing congestion.
Leengate business development manager Mr Eddie Chirangwa said they were now working on the Airport Road and Westgate roundabouts to ease traffic flow.
“We are embarking on a number of projects under the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme,” he said.
“We have been bidding on the open platform and so far we have since been awarded about five tenders, of which three of them have been completed within the stipulated time.
“We have also been able to complete the projects from our budget without demanding any advance payment from the Government.
“In trying to complement the Government’s effort in terms of roads rehabilitation, we saw it fit to also timeously complete and mobilise all the projects that have been awarded to us.”
Leengate has also completed the reconstruction of the Sanganai Inn to Westgate Road which is about 1,6km.
They have also done the maintenance grading of the Nandiboli–Sango Road of 185km and the Rutenga–Zvishavane and Sarahuro–Mwenezi roads which are also 185km.
The Government has so far spent over $1 billion on road rehabilitation, gravelling and drainage structuring as part of the Second Republic’s ERRP2 launched by President Mnangagwa early this year.
This comes together with the Government’s thrust of modernising national transport infrastructure, a key enabler for economic growth and development.
Over 2 000km of roads have been re-gravelled, while 6 627,9km have been graded with 701 drainage structures constructed or repaired and 184 wash-ways reclaimed. Across the country, 4 491,5km of drains have been opened while 6 141,2km of verges have been cleared, with progress continuing to be made on the patching of potholes with a cumulative of 4 794,8km having been attended to.
Online Reporter