Published: 13 hours ago

The Government has announced plans to build three additional road interchanges in Harare over the next 12 months, aiming to reduce congestion and modernise the capital's road network, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona said on Thursday.

Speaking at the official opening of the completed section of Alpes Road, Mhona revealed that construction is already underway at the Mabvuku turn-off interchange, with future projects planned at Harare Drive and Mutare Road, as well as Harare Drive and Airport Road.

"These projects are not stopping with the completion of the Trabablas Interchange. That was only the beginning. We are determined to build more such facilities because they are critical to the smooth flow of traffic," Mhona said.

In addition to the interchanges, several major roads in the capital will undergo upgrades. Alpes Road will be widened all the way to Borrowdale Road and eventually extended into Mashonaland Central province. The stretch from State House along Borrowdale Road will become a four-lane highway, while the section between Borrowdale Police Station and Domboshava will be upgraded to six lanes before narrowing further north.

Mhona highlighted the economic significance of Alpes Road, which serves areas hosting Wild Geese Lodge and the Geo Pomona Waste Management Company, as well as key landmarks such as Glen Forest Cemetery and the Zimbabwe Open University campus in Hatcliff. "The idea behind our planning is to ensure roads are not only trafficable but also serve the growing economic and social needs of the country," he said.

The Minister also announced plans to rehabilitate dusty roads in Hatcliff to improve connectivity for local communities under the Government's development philosophy, "Nyika Inovakwa Nevene Vayo" (A nation is built by its own people).

To curb corruption often associated with road tenders, most upcoming projects will be assigned to the Central Mechanical Equipment Department (CMED), a government parastatal. "With CMED, which is a government entity, there is no room for suspicions, and procurement processes are also shortened," Mhona explained.

The new measures are expected to transform Harare's road network into a modern, efficient system capable of handling the capital's rapidly growing traffic volumes.
- NewZiana