Julius Nyerere Way reopens to traffic
JULIUS Nyerere Way in central Harare, which was under construction, has been reopened to traffic.
Motorists and the public welcomed the reopening of the road.
Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona, recently said major roads, flyovers and bridges, along with mini interchanges along roads in Harare and its environs that link with the US$88 million Mbudzi Traffic Interchange, would be rehabilitated or constructed.
Julius Nyerere Way, for example, was closed to traffic to allow major works on the main road which runs through the city centre.
Yesterday, Minister Mhona, his deputy Joshua Sacco, Harare Mayor Councillor Jacob Mafume, Harare town clerk Hosiah Chisango and other Government officials toured the road before it was reopened to traffic from the Main Post Office to NSSA Building along Sam Nujoma Street.
In an interview, Minister Mhona said: “We are delighted as a ministry that today we are witnessing tremendous works that were going through this particular section in the great city. I am also humbled today that I have His Worship the mayor (Clr Mafume), which signifies the working together of stakeholders and in particular the city fathers taking cognisance of the fact that under the Second Republic, we are saying we need to build our own country to resonate with the mantra of His Excellency that, ‘Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo/Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanikazi balo’.”
Minister Mhona said the road works had taken close to “six weeks and people were wondering”.
Engineers indicated vast works were being done on that particular section, where they needed to redirect some of the fundamental services such as sewer, water reticulation and also diverting the water channel of the Mukuvisi River.
Minister Mhona said although people have been saying most roads were closed for massive rehabilitation ahead of the 44th SADC Summit scheduled for August in Harare, Government was rehabilitating roads to ensure they leave no one and no place behind.
“We will also be in a position to enable the economic drivers to perform well. As you know that in any given economy, you need vibrant and robust infrastructure development and precisely this is what we are doing.
“So you will see us moving from this particular section going towards Second Street to Lomagundi Road (Nemakonde Way) and to Westgate roundabout and we will also have the new Parliament roads, that are feeder roads to the new city that we are constructing. The good thing is we are doing this using our own people, our own resources and it’s something that is commendable.”
Minister Mhona called on the people to be patient as his ministry rehabilitates roads within Greater Harare and the rest of the country.
Clr Mafume said a road knows no political affiliation, hence his presence at the commissioning of the completed section.
“We cannot have a dispute over infrastructure. A good road is a good road, period.
We, as the people of Harare, have always been asking the ministry to invest more of the resources that it is getting, into Harare.
“I am happy that the Honourable Minister has heeded that call and there is huge road works that are happening in Harare and that is what the motorists have been asking for and require,” he said.
Fossil Contracting company head of operations, Engineer Kudakwashe Maguta, said the materials used on the road were the latest technology in road construction and it was the first time it was used in Zimbabwe.
“This kind of asphalt base is three times stronger than the conventional base that we have always been using in Zimbabwe. So this road has been designed to go for a minimum of 20 years without much repairs to it.”
He said some of the challenges they faced related to ZETDC for electricity, City of Harare for sewer and other telecommunication services while they were constructing roads.
Greater Harare Association of Commuter Operators (GHACO) chairman, Mr Ngoni Katsvairo, said: “As operators we want to applaud the Government for attending to the roads as this very much reduces our cost of doing business by saving us from irregular tyre and suspension repairs and maintenance costs.
“We very much welcome the opening of Julius Nyerere Way as this move will remove congestion in the CBD. A well maintained and safer road network is indeed in line with the NDS1 objectives of reducing road deaths and injuries.”
Passengers Association of Zimbabwe president Mr Tafadzwa Goliati said they were happy that Government had reconstructed the road as well as continue to rehabilitate more roads.