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Farai Dauramanzi and Ivan Zhakata

THE reconstruction of Seke Road under the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme Phase 2 (ERRP2) started yesterday, with Bitumen World deploying its equipment such as caterpillars, compactors and heavy lorries.

Equipment taken to the site includes cabins and construction signs.

The reconstruction work started from the point just after Coke Corner, heading to Chitungwiza and is expected to be complete within 90 days.

Bitumen World is one of the biggest construction companies in Zimbabwe and was awarded the tender to reconstruct the busy road that links central Harare with Chitungwiza and other places in Mashonaland East Province.

When The Herald visited the site yesterday, the left lane of the road coming from central Harare to Chitungwiza had been closed while a caterpillar had started removing of the old road surface.

A Bitumen World supervisor at the site declined to comment, saying he did not have authority from company authorities.

He referred The Herald to a media statement released by the firm on Monday, urging motorists to reduce speed when they start using the single-lane traffic system and exercise caution as there could be long queues. 

“The reconstruction will be closing off portions of the dual carriageway such that single lane traffic will operate on the remaining open carriageway,” said Bitumen.

Motorists were urged to start their journeys 30 minutes earlier than normal in anticipation of delays due to roadworks.

A Chitungwiza resident and motorist, Mr Lloyd Mashayamombe, yesterday welcomed the reconstruction of Seke Road, describing it as  commendable.

“There has been decades and decades of neglect of urban roads so much that dance-driving while avoiding potholes was now a necessary skill.

“But to finally see Seke Road’s reconstruction happening in my lifetime is something to applaud the Government for,” said Mr Mashayamombe.

Another motorist, Ms Farirai Jani, also praised the Government for the initiative.

“I am just glad that President Mnangagwa has honoured his election promise of ensuring world class roads in Zimbabwe. I have been staying in Chitungwiza since 1997 and I tell you that Seke Road was giving me nightmares.

“I had devised a strategy of driving along Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Road (that leads to the RGM International Airport) from the Coke Corner, then turn into St Patrick’s Road, then rejoin Seke Road just after Caledon Shops to avoid that bad stretch. Allow me to salute the Government for transforming our roads countrywide,” said Ms Jani.

Seke Road has been in bad shape for a long time particularly the stretch from Coke Corner to Maruta Shopping Centre in Hatfield, then at Mvurachena.

Road construction falls under the National Development Strategy 1’s infrastructure cluster, and roads are regarded as key economic enablers in line with the attainment of Vision 2030 and of an empowered upper middle income society.

The Government has so far spent over $1 billion dollars on road rehabilitation, gravelling and drainage structuring as part of the Second Republic’s ERRP2 launched by President Mnangagwa early this year.

The Second Republic believes that a modernising national transport infrastructure will spur economic growth and development.

Over 2 000km or 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 6 141,2 km 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.