Harare, (New Ziana) — The Government is set to construct three additional road interchanges in Harare within the next 12 months as part of an ambitious programme to ease congestion and modernise the capital’s road network, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona said on Thursday.
Speaking at the official opening of the completed section of Alpes Road in the capital, Mhona said work was already underway at the Mabvuku turn-off interchange, with others will follow at the intersections of Harare Drive and Mutare Road, as well as Harare Drive and Airport Road.
“These projects are not stopping with the completion of the recently opened Trabablas Interchange. “That was only the beginning. We are determined to build more such facilities because they are critical to the smooth flow of traffic,” he said.
He revealed that several major roads will also undergo upgrades during the same period. Alpes Road will be widened all the way to Borrowdale Road and eventually extended into Mashonaland Central province.
From State House along Borrowdale Road, the stretch will be expanded into a four-lane highway, while the section between Borrowdale Police Station and Domboshava will be turned into a six-lane thoroughfare before narrowing to four lanes further north.
Mhona said the upgrading of Alpes Road was particularly significant, given its role in supporting tourism and business in areas that host attractions such as Wild Geese Lodge and Geo Pomona Waste Management Company.
“The idea behind our planning is to ensure roads are not only trafficable but also serve the growing economic and social needs of the country. “This route also connects to Glen Forest Cemetery and the Zimbabwe Open University campus in Hatcliff, making its rehabilitation a priority, he said.
In line with the Government’s development philosophy, “Nyika Inovakwa Nevene Vayo” (A nation is built by its own people), Mhona said dusty roads in Hatcliff will also be rehabilitated to improve connectivity for local communities.
He said that to curb corruption often linked to road tenders, Government had resolved to assign most of the upcoming roadworks to the Central Mechanical Equipment Department (CMED), a parastatal under his ministry.
“When projects are awarded to private contractors, the public often raises red flags over possible corruption. With CMED, which is a government entity, there is no room for such suspicions and procurement processes are also shortened,” Mhona said.
The new measures are expected to transform Harare’s road network into a modern, efficient system capable of handling the capital’s rapidly growing traffic volumes.
New Ziana
