Highways to safety, economic growth
CONSTRUCTION of good road infrastructure is critical to the economic growth of a country since the availability of carpet roads occasion transportation networks that make it easier for people to travel and goods to be transported — thus promoting trade and commerce — leading to a boom in economic activity.
It creates connectivity that makes it easier for people to travel from one place to another — for work, education, healthcare and leisure and explore new opportunities leading to a better quality of life.
Serious investors prefer to inject their capital in regions with robust road infrastructure which signify effective governance and an indicator of readiness for business.
This aptly depicts Government’s thrust in Manicaland Province where massive road infrastructure upgrades are at various stages of construction.
Government embarked on an aggressive road reconstruction blitz aimed at upgrading most roads in the province, and already some of the roads that were extensively damaged by floods and cyclones over the past years were rehabilitated and now trafficable.
Government is also repairing major roads in urban areas in the province — Mutare, Rusape and Chipinge — under the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP) after decades of poor service delivery to residents by local authorities.
Well-maintained roads are safer, and enable the efficient movement of goods from production sites to markets or ports. This facilitates both domestic trade and exports, allowing for a smoother flow of products and commodities.
Manicaland, being a revered tourism hub, it is thus discernible that the thrust
by Government will resultantly help boost tourism. By nature, tourists will visit areas with good accessibility, bringing in the much-needed foreign currency, and thus stimulate the provincial economy.
Apart from tourism, access to market is crucial and being enhanced.
Districts like Chipinge, Chimanimani, Mutare, Mutasa, Nyanga and Makoni are known for producing high value crops like macadamia, tobacco, fruits, coffee, tea, potatoes, horticultural produce and grain, among others.
Farmers and producers need access to larger markets and get better prices for their produce, and this can only happen if they have good road connectivity. This can increase their incomes and improve living standards.
Good quality roads designed with safety in mind can reduce the number of accidents on the road. Potholes, uneven surfaces, and faded road markings can cause vehicles to lose control, leading to accidents.
Proper maintenance ensures that these hazards are addressed promptly.
Proper road infrastructure, such as wellmarked lanes, signs and traffic signals can help to reduce the risk of accidents. This helps to save lives and reduce the burden of healthcare costs.
The 26km Christmas Pass By-Pass road comes to mind!
This by-pass will serve as an alternative route in and out of Mutare, and is expected to be complete in 12 months.
The development is being implemented in a partnership between Government and
Leengate Private Limited. I was necessitated by relentless accidents at Christmas Pass.
Christmas Pass has become a death trap as haulage trucks carrying heavy loads often struggle to ascent and descend its steep and meandering slopes, with brake failure and jack-knifes being common occurrences.
Hardly a day passes without an accident at Christmas Pass, bolstering calls by stakeholders in the province for the construction of an alternative route to minimise carnage.
The by-pass which will pass through Feruka on the outskirts of Mutare’s Central Business District (CBD) was proposed in 1992 for use by haulage trucks.
Most of the trucks passing through Mutare using the Beira Corridor will be destined to Mozambique, Zambia, Malawi and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The by-pass road will be interwoven with the modernisation of Forbes Border Post, and the construction of a new dry port to improve efficiency in clearing cargo at the border.
About 900 trucks are cleared at the port of entry on a daily basis, and at times congestion becomes the order of the day, with long winding queues stretching for more than 10km to Mutare Polytechnic, Sakubva and Nyakamete Industrial Area, thereby causing congestion on Mutare CBD’s feeder roads.
The by-pass road will also help decongest Mutare’s CBD and create a shorter route to Chikanga, Dangamvura, Marange, Masvingo and the Beira Corridor, among others. Emergency services like ambulances, police and fire departments rely on reliable transportation to respond quickly to critical situations.
Constructing and maintaining good quality roads makes it easier for them to reach their destinations and provide essential services on time.
Upgrading of the five gravel roads commonly referred to as — Binya Roads — into tarred roads under ERRP is set to resume.
The upgrading of Murambinda–Birchenough Road is one such project. Its tarring takes off from the Birchenough side and the same applies to the surfacing of Cashel-Chimanimani Road. Funding for the first five kilometres has been availed.
Other roads set for upgrading this year include Headlands-Mayo Road, Odzi-Marange (49km), Nyanga-Rwenya Road and Chipinge-Mt Selinda Road.
A number of bridges that include the Twin River and Mutyire River bridges that were damaged by Cyclone Anna in Chimanimani, and Gairezi Bridge were completed in 2023.
In Rusape, the surfacing of the 1.3 kilometre Castle Base-Magamba Road has been completed, while work on the 3.5km Vengere Loop Road is still outstanding with the contractor working from Wedza Turn-off Fly Over inwards.
Work on the 1.7km Old Magamba Road, off the Mutare-Harare Highway has been completed, a development that came as huge relief to residents and motorists.
Gairezi Bridge in Nyanga was completed last year.
Works to rehabilitee the Mutare-Masvingo Fly-over is expected to commence this year.
The Mutare Fly-over rehabilitation will ensure smooth movement along the busy CBD entry and exit point. A number of bridges, including the one soon after the Fly-over and near Zuva Service Station in Mutare is also set for widening to reduce congestion.
The bridge will have its shoulders widened to allow dual carriage in opposite directions to address congestion happening there.