The Government has commenced the rehabilitation of the Harare – Chirundu Highway starting at Harare Post Office (peg zero) ahead of the 44th Southern African Development Community (SADC) Heads of State and Government Summit scheduled to be held in Harare in August.
The Herald reported that at least 40 greater roads in and around the city have been lined up for the rehabilitation exercise which is being overseen by the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development.
The roads where the ministry shall apply asphaltic concrete overlay includes Samora Machel (Jaggers to Kuwadzana Roundabout), Dieppe roundabout, Glenara/Samora junction, Glenara/ED Mnangagwa Road, Chiremba (through Braeside), Robert Mugabe/Abdel Gamal Nasser, Josiah Tongogara, Harare Drive roundabout Jaggers, Lomagundi Road (selected sections), Simon Muzenda Street/Robert Mugabe junction to Tongogara Road, and Simon Muzenda Street/Robert Mugabe junction to Tongogara Road.
In a statement, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development the rehabilitation of the roads is to facilitate an efficient and smooth flow of traffic during the SADC summit. It said:
The Republic of Zimbabwe shall be hosting the 44th SADC Heads of State and Government Summit in August this year.
As part of the preparatory works, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development is tasked with constructing and rehabilitating road infrastructure to facilitate efficient and smooth flow of the delegates and the citizenry during the summit.
The ministry has initiated a procurement process for the above Greater Harare roads to engage the contractors that are compliant under Category A to participate in the tender through competitive bidding to ensure that there is value for money.
The SADC Summit roads construction works include the urban section of the Harare–Chirundu Road project from Julius Nyerere Way to Westgate traffic circle (Second Street and Lomagundi Road), which is being rehabilitated, widened, and dualized and includes street lighting and landscaping.
The ministry has directed the contractor apportioned that section on the Harare–Chirundu Road project, Fossil Contracting, to immediately prioritize the works for completion on or before July 31, 2024.
Exodus and Company has been directed to prioritize the urban section from the Lomagundi intersection with Second Street to the new Parliament Boulevard main access.
The works on this section will include dualisation street lighting and landscaping for completion on or before July 31, 2024. Said the Ministry:
Lastly, pursuant to the Cabinet approval obtained in April 2023 for Bitumen World to construct the North–South Corridor Link and the new Parliament Main Accesses, the ministry has directed Bitumen World to prioritise the New Parliament Main Accesses including street lighting and landscaping which also must be completed on or before July 31, 2024.
The ongoing works show the commitment by the ministry to deliver meaningful progress towards infrastructural development and ensuring satisfactory road infrastructure in support of the August SADC Summit.
Bitumen World is constructing about 13km of the Old Mazowe Road from the Westgate roundabout and is expected to complete all the roads by July 31 this year.
After constructing the 13km, the Government plans to reconstruct the other part of the road up to Mazowe, linking it with Bindura Road later this year.
The other road currently under construction is the 7km boulevard that stretches from Bindura Road straight to the New Parliament Building.
It will have eight lanes (four on the right side and four on the left side) and all this is expected to be done by mid-year.
Others are the 4.7km crescent around Parliament and a 2km road that will also lead to the New Parliament Building.
