The ManicaPost
Nyore Madzianike Senior Reporter
OBSOLETE equipment and delays in the release of project funds is stalling the tarring of Murambinda-Birchenough Bridge road.
Addressing heads of Government departments during a consultative meeting held at Buhera Rural District offices before touring the road construction site recently, provincial roads engineer Mr Arnold Mutungwazi said inefficient equipment was their major challenge towards the completion of the road. He said they were targeting to cover about 16 kilometres of the road by the end of this year.
“There is about $8 million that is earmarked for the project and we hope to have covered about 16km by December. This also depends on the rate and amount of funds released towards the project,” he said.
“Our major setback is the condition and type of machinery, which we are using. Most of the equipment we are using for the construction of the road is obsolete and no longer working efficiently. This is one thing, which is stalling progress,” he said.
Speaking during the visit of the site, Eng Mutungwazi said they had completed the first stage of tarring the road with the final layer expected to be put by end of this week. He said they were expecting to open the road for traffic by next week, if everything went according to their script.
“The stage we are at right now is equivalent to that of coating when painting a house. This is the first stage when putting tar on the road. After this stage, another layer will be laid down before we open it to traffic. It is our hope that within the next two weeks motorists will be using this road,” he said.
Buhera West MP Cde Soul Nzuma thanked the department of roads saying he hoped more roads would be tarred in Buhera.
He promised to engage the Ministry of Transport and ZINARA to speed up the tarring of Murambinda-Birchenough Bridge road.
“We thank the department of roads for the work done so far but we are not ending here as I will take it up with the Minister of Transport, Cde Biggie Matiza for us to have more roads tarred in Buhera as well as speed completion of this road,” he said.
