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Herald Reporter

The Mbudzi interchange along Simon Mazorodze Road in southern Harare will take a little over a year to build, with the construction equipment moving on site next month and work expected to be complete at the end of the first quarter of next year.

The major preparations, which include the upgrade or construction of the diversion routes and the relocation of those who have to be moved are at an advanced stage.

In an interview on Wednesday, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister, Felix Mhona assured the public that by the end of the first quarter of 2023, the project would have been completed.

“The Mbudzi roundabout is one of the topical projects that have been on the cards. But once again a special one in this era that we are going to witness which will be a major milestone especially to infrastructural development.

“We have been engaging stakeholders and remember, we also need to give notices to those relocating and those who were located legally, so that we then give them enough time. We did our evaluations and this is what we have been doing. As we move into February, we start work on the ground.

“I can assure you that we are done with the others (stakeholders) and yes we might have some who are challenging the relocation, but at the end of the day, this is a national project which we must also move with speed in trying to manage and also allow the citizenry their rights to challenge if they are objecting to such a programme,” he said.

Minister Mhona said his team which included engineers, surveyors and the chief director, were seized with the preparatory works.

“I am sure as we move into February, you will see massive mobilisation of equipment to site. And like what I indicated last time, we are saying by the end of this year, together with my team, we need to cover almost 260km so we are giving ourselves a stretching time, so that we complete that stretch.

“Before the first quarter of 2023, the roundabout will be an immaculate sight. The chaotic situation that you see at Mbudzi is not pleasing and we are also going to be seized with the Harare-Chirundu Road,” he said.

The minister said the state of the roads in the cities was not pleasing since they had been neglected and Government was going to take over their rehabilitation.

“They (councils) were saying they were not getting money from Zinara, but in 2021, we were broadcasting whatever we were sending to the road authorities so there is no excuse for them to say we are not giving them money.

“What we are going to do is to start rehabilitating roads in line with the mandate that we have been given by the President.

“There is no time to waste so you will see the Ministry of Transport going right into the neighbourhoods to ensure that we rehabilitate and bring back the roads to their original immaculate condition,” Minister Mhona said.

In November last year, construction of Mbudzi interchange moved a gear up with a contractor undertaking geotechnical engineering which involves taking soil and rock samples to ascertain the strength of materials to be used during the foundation stages.

There was some notable progress as Mars Geotechnical laboratory officials, subcontracted by TEFOMA Joint Venture, were taking soil and rock samples.

The section of the road servitude along Chitungwiza road was totally cleared with illegal shacks being removed while vendors that used to sell goats have vacated the area.

Works on detour roads were progressing with demolition of illegal structures that encroached the roads. Broken down vehicles around Mbudzi roundabout were also being towed away.