The ManicaPost
Samuel Kadungure
Senior Reporter
AT least five gravel roads commonly referred to as — Binya roads in Manicaland — have been earmarked for upgrading into tarred ones under the third and fourth phases of the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP) that will commence next year.
Projects under ERRP 2 in the province are expected to be completed by November 15, 2021.
Some roads set to be upgraded into surfaced roads include the Headlands-Mayo Road, which stretches for 76 kilometres to Mutoko, as well as the Odzi-Marange (49km), Murambinda-Birchenough Road, Nyanga-Rwenya Road and Chipinge-Mt Selinda Road.
A number of bridges that include the one near Murahwa Green Market (Mutare) and Rwenya Bridge, which was damaged by Cyclone Eline in 2000, will also be attended to.
This was revealed by Transport and Infrastructure Development Minister, Honourable Felix Mhona in an interview on the sidelines of the commissioning of the Mwarazi Shelvert in Headlands last week on Friday.
The Mwarazi Shelvet — along the Headlands-Mayo Road — was washed away by a flooded river in February, leaving a huge sink hole in which two vehicles and a motorcycle plunged into and were extensively damaged.
A shelvet is a structure that is smaller than a bridge.
Minister Mhona said the construction of Rwenya Bridge started last week.
Located about 43km from Nyamapanda Border Post towards Nyanga, Rwenya Bridge, is a key link between Manicaland and Mashonaland East provinces.
Its rehabilitation will also ensure smooth movement along the Zimbabwe-Mozambique border.
“The construction of Mwarazi Shelvert took six months, and going forward all our projects must be completed within the agreed period. This road (Headlands-Mayo) is among those that will be upgraded into tarred roads next year under the third and fourth phases of the ERRP in 2022.
“The 76km road is the shortest route linking Manicaland and Mashonaland East provinces through Mutoko. Construction on another key infrastructure that also links the two provinces — the Rwenya Bridge — that was damaged by Cyclone Eline in February 2000 is now in full swing. The road connecting Mutoko and Nyanga will also be upgraded into a tarred road,” said Minister Mhona.
“In 2022, ERRP phases three and four will cater for the major protection works and upgrading of at least five gravel roads in Manicaland into surfaced roads. Among those roads earmarked for upgrading are the Murambinda-Birchenough, Chipinge-Mt Selinda, Nyanga-Ruwangwe, and the Odzi-Marange roads. A number of bridges, including the one soon after the Fly-over and near Zuva Service Station in Mutare. We will widen its shoulders to allow dual carriage in opposite directions to get rid of congestion happening there.
“We also have a lot of road reseal works planned in 2022, including the reseal of the Chivhu-Nyazura and Stapleford roads. Spot re-gravelling of the Odzi-Marange Road as well as the construction of a shelvert similar to the one here in Headlands are ongoing, but its upgrading into a surfaced road is earmarked for next year,” he said.
Minister Mhonda said Government would not tolerate shoddy work from contractors.
“Those awarded tenders to work on the roads should be up to the task. We are receiving complaints of poor workmanship on some of the projects and we will order the contractors to redo the job. We cannot waste resources by double paying people for something they should have perfected on the first attempt,” said Minister Mhona.
His comments come in the wake of complaints from many people on the poor workmanship being exhibited by some of the companies that won tenders to resurface the roads.
Some of the roads like Kumbirai Kangai (Aerodrome), Magamba and Dangamvura Link Road in Mutare are already littered with potholes, while in Chipinge residents are up in arms with a contractor for failing to deliver on the awarded contract.
