$200m released for Masvingo road projects
Government has released nearly $200 million for the completion of outstanding works on ongoing road projects in Masvingo Province which have been further delayed by the current wet spell.
The move is part of efforts to improve the province’s road network in line with President Mnangagwa’s Vision 2030 to make Zimbabwe an upper middle class economy.
Most major road projects here had stalled owing to underfunding and the rainy season sparked fears that heavy downpours could destroy what had been done so far.
Among the major road projects currently under development is the Zimuto-Copota which links Masvingo City to the Zimuto communal lands and Gutu-Buhera which provides a shorter link between Masvingo and Manicaland province.
The Rutenga-Zvishavane road seeks to link western parts of Zimbabwe to Rutenga Growth Point and Sango Border Post.
The railway line which provides a shorter gateway to the Mozambican port of Maputo is also one of the key projects under development.
Work on the Gutu-Buhera project stopped last year after funding dried up, with the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development having primed 1km of the highway together with accompanying works like construction of drains.
Provincial roads engineer Mr Robert Mukome said recent rains had damaged drains, but expressed relief that the road remained intact.
On the Rutenga-Zvishavane road project, 6km had been primed awaiting surfacing, with 8,4km needing priming onthe Zimuto-Copota project when work stopped owing to funding constraints.
Mr Mukome disclosed that the recent release of $195 million by Government for surfacing primed parts at the three ongoing road projects were key milestones.
“On the Gutu-Buhera road project, we have only done 1km which had been primed when work stopped last year and we were doing it in-house, but funds dried up and we are happy that surfacing of the primed 1km has now started after Government released $12,2 million for the project,”said Mr Mukome.
“There were recent press reports that suggested that 5km of the road was washed away and this was unfounded because we had only primed 1km and only drains were damaged by recent rains, not the actual road which remains in good shape.
“We are grateful that we will be able to preserve the work that has been done now that funds for surfacing have been released.”
He said $73 million had been released to surface a 6km primed stretch along the Rutenga-Zvishavane Road.
The stretch would be opened to traffic once surfacing was complete.
Mr Mukome revealed that release of funds for the Zimuto-Copota Road would enable his ministry to surface an 8,4km stretch that was primed and awaiting surfacing before work stopped.
“Our team has returned on the ground and they are surfacing 8,4km after we got funding to make sure rains do no damage what we had covered. We will soon be opening the road to traffic once surfacing and carriageway markings are complete,”said Mr Mukome.
While underfunding had always been a challenge, experts said the major hiccup to the ongoing road development drive remained centralisation of procurement at head office.
“We expect devolution of procurement to provinces as this will help make sure projects are quickly developed. It will take less time to procure raw materials required in road construction.”-hera;d.cl.zw
