Freeman Razemba
Senior Reporter
CONSTRUCTION work on the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road has resumed, with all eight contractors back on site and targeting rehabilitation of a 160km stretch by the end of the year.
The overall project, which began in July 2025, has seen significant progress across multiple lots.
Eight contractors are working on the 440-kilometre road: Bitumen Resources, Syvern Investment, Tensor Systems, Masimba Holdings, Fossil Contracting, Linash Construction, Asphalt Products and Bitumen World.
The road rehabilitation project is expected to improve road safety, reduce travel time and enhance connectivity between Bulawayo, Hwange and Victoria Falls, a key tourism destination.
Works are progressing in phases, with contractors undertaking bush clearing, detour construction, earthworks, drainage installation, surfacing and road widening.
Each of the eight contractors is targeting to rehabilitate at least 20km by December 2026 and to date, 73.4km has so far been rehabilitated and opened to traffic.
The Government recently intensified monitoring of the project to ensure contractors meet the required scope, timelines and quality standards.
The Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road is a vital transport corridor linking Bulawayo with Hwange and Victoria Falls, supporting tourism, trade and the movement of people and goods.
Once completed, the rehabilitation is expected to improve the travelling experience for motorists and strengthen transport links between the country’s second-largest city and the resort town of Victoria Falls.
The Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road is one of Zimbabwe’s strategic highways, linking the country’s tourism hub with major commercial centres while also serving as a key regional route connecting Zimbabwe to neighbouring countries in the Sadc region.
The highway forms part of the North-South Corridor, a critical regional transport link connecting South Africa through Beitbridge to Zambia, Namibia, and Botswana, playing a key role in trade, tourism and economic integration.
Initially, five contractors — Fossil Contracting, Masimba Holdings, Syvern Investment, Bitumen Resources and Tensor Systems were awarded contracts to rehabilitate sections of the 440-kilometre stretch.
The Government later added three more contractors for Lots 6, 7 and 8, covering the final approaches to Victoria Falls to fast-track the completion of the upgrading of this busy highway.
The highway serves as a key route for regional trade and tourism, connecting southern Zimbabwe to the Kazungula Bridge and the wider SADC transport network.
For years, motorists, truckers and tourists travelling to Victoria Falls — a Unesco World Heritage Site and one of the world’s premier tourist destinations — have endured long, difficult journeys due to the poor state of the road.
The rehabilitation work, expected to be completed this year, aims to restore the route to world-class standards that support the free flow of goods, tourism traffic and regional economic integration.
The Bulawayo – Victoria Falls Road rehabilitation is part of the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP II), launched by the Government to modernise the country’s road network. The programme has seen major works on highways such as Harare – Beitbridge, Harare-Chirundu, Mutare-Harare, and key feeder roads in all provinces.
The project aligns with the Second Republic’s policy of devolution and inclusive development, ensuring that strategic economic corridors in all regions receive attention to unlock industrial growth, facilitate tourism and enhance cross-border trade.
Once complete, the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road is expected to improve road safety, reduce travel time between Bulawayo and Victoria Falls and strengthen Zimbabwe’s position as a regional logistics and tourism hub.
