Harare needs $800m for roads rehab

Abigail Mawonde Herald Correspondent
Harare roads require $800 million for refurbishment if the city is to achieve a world class city status by 2025, a council official has said. Speaking during a tour of the city’s major roads in Harare, chief engineer of Works George Munyonga said there was need for combined effort in the refurbishment of roads since they were now in deplorable state. “To get our roads in Harare to the world class state which we are currently working towards, we will need around $800 million and that is what we are aiming for by 2025,” he said.

He said Government has since availed $17 million for the current project. The city council budgeted $4 million while Zinara put in $1,2 million.

Roads such as the High Glen road (roughly 1,8km) had since been completed while the Willowvale (from 2nd Avenue — which goes through Budiriro to Amalinda, 4,8km) was still work in progress. Eighth, 11th and 14th avenues in Glen View were also being refurbished as well as reconstruction of the Glen View Way that passes through Makomva Centre that had become impassable.

At least 6,9km of Kirkman Road had a reseal and overlay while Harare Drive is currently being reconstructed from Enterprise to Gaydon roads.

Gletwin Road in the northern suburbs is also undergoing reconstruction where overlaying of 2,5km will be done. Eng Munyonga said besides the major roads, council was also working on small roads in the city’s suburbs.

He said council was targeting to complete the project by year end.

“All these works that I am talking about have to be through by the 31st of December this year when our 180 day programme, which we have submitted to Government, will end, and we will then start to look at other phases,” he said.

Eng Munyonga said council had faced many challenges in implementing the programme.

“We have been facing a variety of challenges including Bitumen supply. This is an imported product which calls for a lot of importation elements to come through, but we have been assured of maximum assistance from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development which is currently chairing the programme,” he said.

Eng Munyonga said plans to consider having concrete roads were in place as this would lessen the burden of importing Bitumen. He said concrete roads were also deemed to be more durable as compared to asphalt roads.

“Going forward, we may need to have concrete roads. We are pursuing it vigorously together with the Ministry (of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing) and we have called for some test sections to be done, which we will monitor together in view and looking forward to implementing that mode,” he said.

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