Staff Reporter

Government has approved proposals on the partnerships between the Government of Zimbabwe and other road construction companies for the development of the Harare-Chirundu and the Karoi-Binga Roads, a Cabinet Minister has announced.

Speaking during a post-Cabinet briefing in Harare today, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Monica Mutsvangwa said that Government was determined to provide state-of-the-art road infrastructure to facilitate easier movement of goods and services and thereby boost economic activity and uplift livelihoods.

“Cabinet received and approved proposals on the partnership between the Government of Zimbabwe and Bitumen World Pvt Ltd; Masimba Holdings Ltd; Tensor Systems Pvt Ltd; Exodus and Company Pvt Ltd and Fossil Contracting Pvt Ltd to upgrade, rehabilitate, widen and construct the 352 km Harare-Chirundu Road, with Prostruct Consulting Engineers providing consultancy services for the project. The two projects are among many others which the Second Republic is implementing in order to provide state-of-the-art road infrastructure to facilitate easier movement of goods and services and thereby boost economic activity and uplift livelihoods,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.

The Minister added that the upgrading, rehabilitation and widening of the Harare Chirundu Highway was intended to complement the North South Corridor Development programme, which incorporates critical infrastructure such as the modernized Beitbridge Border Post, the Beitbridge-Harare Highway and the Mbudzi Interchange.

According to Minister Mutsvangwa, the Harare- Chirundu Regional Trunker Road would be split into five equal sections of 67.8km for the contractors to design and undertake works. When completed, the project would deliver a safer and more efficient road network, as well as access to critical economic areas along the route and enhance regional connectivity by ensuring that transit traffic connects seamlessly.

Additionally, Minister Mutsvangwa highlighted that works have already commenced on the Beitbridge-Bulawayo -Victoria Falls Road.

Meanwhile, Minister Mutsvangwa said that road surfacing has reached 50 percent on the Binga-Siakobvu road in Matabeleland North Province and 30 percent on the Nyakasikana-Masango-Karanda road in Mt Darwin District of Mashonaland Central Province, while the Monte Casino Road in Marondera District in Mashonaland East Province has been completed.a