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Senior Reporter

Herald Reporter

SIGNIFICANT progress has been made in the ongoing rehabilitation of the Harare-Beitbridge Road that was once a death trap but is now turning into a modern road under the watch of the Second Republic.

As of now a total of 354.47km along the Harare-Beitbridge Road has now been opened to traffic as Government continues to make progress in the rehabilitation of the country’s roads under the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme Phase 2 (ERRP2).

In the rehabilitation of the country’s roads, focus is not only on arterial highways but also those in suburbs that were abandoned by opposition-run councils for years.

However, it is certainly the Harare-Beitbridge Road that has transformed the country road network infrastructure as it responds to modern demands, particularly traffic that comes through the mordenised Beitbridge Boarder Post, a critical component of the North-South Corridor.

The plan is to rehabilitate the entire 897km Chirundu-Harare and Harare-Beitbridge roads, which forms part of the TransAfrica Highway (10 228km beginning in Cape Town and ending in Cairo).

Five local companies; Tensor Systems, Masimba Holdings, Fossil Contracting, Exodus & Company and Bitumen World, were contracted to upgrade the Harare-Beitbridge Highway.

The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development confirmed the developments on their Twitter handle yesterday.

According to the ministry, Bitumen had completed and opened to traffic 81.3km, Fossil 80km, Masimba 65.97km, Exodus 60km, Tensor 60km while a trial section (demo) of 7.2km has also been opened making it a total of 354.47km.

The same progress is being registered across the country, for instance on the Harare-Bindura Road, works are in progress, while in Midlands, the ministry said resealing and rehabilitation works are in progress on the Lower Gweru Road.

On the, Marondera-Wedza Road, there is cement stabilisation on the Mushandirapamwe road construction.

Plans are also afoot to immediately begin work on the Harare-Chirundu leg of the programme, which will cover 342km and the Harare ring road (59km) soon after the Harare-Beitbridge leg is wrapped up, possibly next year.

Toll plazas will also be constructed on the Harare-Beitbridge Highway, six on the Harare-Chirundu Road and three on the Harare ring road.

In addition, 10km stretches of dual carriage ways will be constructed on approaches to Harare, Chivhu, Masvingo and Beitbridge.

By last month, surfacing was also done on Kuwadzana Extension road construction, while installation of traffic lights on intersections for the detour routes of Mbudzi Interchange to facilitate the smooth flow of traffic was completed.

On the Harare-Kanyemba Road construction, the 2km Mahuwe to Mushumbi stretch was completed and opened to traffic.

The 20km of Ngundu-Tanganda Road Rehabilitation in Chiredzi District was also completed.

Works to repair Rwenya Bridge in Mudzi, Mashonaland East, damaged by Cyclone Eline in 2013 commenced recently, with the Second Republic determined to end the delays that affected infrastructure repairs and maintenance in the past.

Located about 43km south of Nyamapanda Border Post towards Nyanga, the bridge is a key link between Mashonaland East and Manicaland and its proper repair will ensure decent communication along the Mozambican border. The Rwenya Bridge is along the Nyamapanda-Rwenya Road, popularly

known as Bhinya Road, along the border.

The bridge is expected to be opened to pedestrians in December this year while vehicles will be allowed to use it in March next year.

Bitumen World is the contractor tasked to reconstruct this bridge and the organisation is also rehabilitating the gravel road which links Nyamapanda in Mashonaland East Province and part of Nyanga district in Manicaland Province.

Bitumen World will also surface the road as it approaches the bridge, from both sides and will do minor repairs on the other part which was left intact when part of it was washed away to ensure safety for every vehicle and pedestrians once it is opened for use.

Already, the contractor has brought to the site, all the material needed to complete the needed bridge works.

Completion and commissioning of Rwenya bridge will bring back economic activities between Mashonaland East and Manicaland provinces, and people from both provinces will access social services easily.

Recently, Transport and Infrastructure Development Minister Felix Mhona said the repairing of this important bridge is a testimony that President Mnangagwa walks the talk and fulfils his promises.

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-aways 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.