Suburban
MOTORISTS will continue enduring the nightmare of driving through the heavily congested and potholed Mutare-Chimanimani Road at Mutare Flyover as the Department of Roads is waiting for the opening of the financial year to find out whether resources will be allocated for the project.
Deep gullies and potholes now litter the road from Redan Service Station in the downtown area to the traffic lights at Murahwa People’s Green Market.
The situation has been worsened by the rains currently being received as well as the non-availability of pothole patching material from the road authority, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development.
On January 10 during the night, motorists had an unforgettable experience as the road was virtually impassable.
Coupled with the mushika-shika (pirate taxis) madness, both lanes were clogged.
The alternative routes — Park and Glasgow roads — did not bring any relief for the stranded motorists, as some ended up resorting to use the long Kumbirai Kangai (Aerodrome) Road via the Chikanga route to drive to Dangamvura.
Last year, Mutare residents were overjoyed when the Department of Roads announced that plans were afoot to reduce traffic congestion at the Flyover through its expansion.
It was reported that Manicaland’s Department of Roads was given the nod to identify competent civil engineering registered contractors under the Flyover Road tender.
In April last year, the Department of Roads also announced that procurement of materials for the project had commenced and would take a month to complete, but eight months down the line, no material has been seen anywhere near the site. In an interview on Wednesday, Manicaland Provincial Roads Engineer, Engineer Kudzai Maganga said the OK Supermarket (corner Herbert Chitepo Street and Robert Mugabe Way) to Dangamvura Turn-Off Road Project was among the projects that were stopped by treasury last year after the contractor had overpriced it.
“The OK Supermarket to Dangamvura Turn-Off Project should have been done and completed last year, but funding was stopped by treasury after it was realised that the contractor had over-priced it. The project includes the resurfacing of the road and expansion of the Blue Star Bridge near the Green Market.
“We are now seized with re-engaging new contractors and hope funds will be released when the financial year starts soon.
“As for the potholes, we did not have the necessary resealing and patching material, but we have since procured it. Work will commence today (Wednesday),” said Engineer Maganga.
On the Flyover expansion project, Engineer Maganga said:
“A feasibility study is still being done to see how the flyover will be expanded to accommodate dual lanes. This process involves a lot of stakeholders including the National Railways of Zimbabwe, businesspeople with premises in the downtown area of Mutare as well as the local authority.
“Once the feasibility study is completed, we will know the scope of the work to be done.
“We hope this project will get the funding this year as we feel for the motorists who are having a torrid time to drive past that stretch of the busy road.” – Manica Post
