Planning critical in highway construction

EDITOR — It is inevitable that local contractors will be involved in the construction of the Beitbridge-Chirundu highway.

It would be illogical and impractical to expect everything, including materials, to be imported.

While acknowledging the involvement of Zimbabweans, I am not too concerned about the percentage of jobs taken by subcontractors.

The project, when completed, will forever be embedded on Zimbabwean surface and be used by and to the benefit of Zimbabweans.

What is important is that the job is done timely, at competitive costs without inflated fees, with no brown envelopes being passed around, and the job itself being done to the highest of standards.

I hope the planning has provided for overpasses where there are major intersections and rail tracks, turning lanes both for traffic branching to turn left and right, as well as the preservation of expansion space especially when passing through populated locations.

Granted, the cost for major structures such as overpasses and interchanges is enormous and so may not have been provided for at this stage.

However, it will still be useful to reserve ample space on key spots for such structures to be put up gradually, one at a time at a future point when funds permit.