Beitbridge starts repairing roads
BEITBRIDGE Town Council has started repairing roads that were damaged by heavy rains that have been pounding the border town over the past few weeks.
Town secretary Mr Loud Ramakgapola said in an interview that the rains left most roads riddled with potholes.
He said council had since started re-gravelling and filling potholes in some areas, with most of the battered roads being those linking the town’s CBD with the bus terminus, Hlalani Khuhle and Shule-Shule areas.
“Civil works are in progress, most of our roads were left in bad shape, hence we are attending to them as a matter of urgency,’’ said Mr Ramakgapola.
“We are also planning to tar other roads in Dulivhadzimo suburb as we move a gear up in accelerating infrastructure development. Currently, the contractor is busy on the ground tarring a 0,52 kilometres stretch linking Mashavire and Shule-Shule Business Centres.
“We anticipate the project to be complete by the end of March.”
Mr Ramakgapola said the main objective of the project was to create more accessible roads in the suburbs and to de-congest the main roads leading to Bulawayo and Harare.
He said they were rehabilitating the roads as part of the town’s development strategy.
“We need to surface a total of 104km of roads and setting up of 3,1km storm water drains,” said Mr Ramakgapola.
Council was also courting development partners to speed up completion of other capital projects in the border town.
Mr Ramakgapola said most of the infrastructural projects would be implemented under the private-public partnership initiative.
He said it was critical for Government to speed up completion of the Beitbridge Redevelopment Programme as part of the town’s modernisation plan.
“Among other issues, we are eagerly awaiting finalisation of the town’s municipal status,” said Mr Ramakgapola.
“This will unlock more avenues for development and investment opportunities for us.”