CHIMANIMANI ROAD DITCH ROAD EXPLAINED

. . . underlying river a possibility

THE collapse of a section of Wengezi-Chimanimani Road, which led to the death of a motorist who crashed into the ditch on Saturday, has been attributed to water undermining the road after a culvert was blocked.

But an underground river flowing underneath the road has not been ruled out as investigations continue.

Masimba Holdings Limited, a company that carried out extensive rehabilitation works on Skyline Chimanimani road following damage caused by Cyclone Idai in 2019, issued a statement attributing the collapse of the road, at the 69km peg, to heavy rains experienced in Chimanimani.

“The Chimanimani area has been experiencing heavy rains since the beginning of the rainy season. In the early hours of 30 January 2021, a small river changed its course upstream after an existing culvert was blocked by debris. This resulted in water undermining the road just before the culvert, causing a section of the Wengezi Chimanimani road to collapse at the 69km peg.

“A ditch that is an estimated three metres deep and three metres wide, and impassable to traffic, was created. Preliminary investigations indicate that the collapse may also have been aggravated by an underground stream.

“It is with sadness that we also inform you that a motorist travelling in the early hours of the morning of 30 January 2021, unaware of the state of the road, drove into the ditch and regrettably passed away. “Our condolences go out to the family. “The scope of the contracted works on the affected section was confined to resealing.”

Meanwhile, Masimba Holdings Limited has mobilised equipment to open a detour to allow vehicles to pass while they carry out repair works using the Department of Roads engineering designs issued on 30 January 2021.