GOVERNMENT has commenced work to rehabilitate the 106km gravel road linking Murambinda growth point and Birchenough Bridge after Treasury released over $30 million for the project, NewsDay has learnt.
by Everson Mushava
Manicaland provincial engineer, Arnold Mutungwazi, confirmed the development last week.
“Work has commenced on the paving of the road. We have received money from Treasury and so far we have done about 15 kilometres and we hope to finish the project quickly as funds continue coming,” he said.
The money is part of the $230 million road fund released by Transport minister Joram Gumbo early this year for rehabilitation of the country’s road network. The money was shared among the country’s 10 provinces. According to Gumbo, the country would need about $5,5 billion for road infrastructure.
The Murambinda-Birchenough Bridge link road has for years given motorists nightmares, especially during rainy seasons. The road, when complete, will provide the shortest distance from Harare to the Birchenough Bridge via Buhera where the Wedza-Buhera road is also undergoing rehabilitation.
Mutungwazi also revealed that they had resurfaced a 10km stretch of the Tanganda-Ngundu Road that had become impassable. He added that tendering for another 54 kilometre stretch was being processed.
He said his province required about $200 million for road rehabilitation, including urban road network in Mutare that have been dilapidated due to years of neglect and last year’s incessant rains.
