|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready…
|
Hon Felix Mhona, the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development was impressed by the progress at Mbudzi Traffic Interchange in Harare.
He made the remarks during a media tour of the US$88 million Mbudzi Interchange at the intersection of Simon Mazorodze Road, Chitungwiza Road, and High Glen Road in Harare.
“I am happy that you have seen the infrastructure and we are progressing well, by July 31 this year we must have our interchange,” Minister Mhona said.
The Minister poured cold water on allegations on social media alleging that the money for the project had been squandered.
“We don’t have the so-called Mbudzi Interchange Compensation Fund. We are mobilising, and we communicate with treasury if they are properties to be compensated. And as we speak out of the 52, 42 have been compensated partially and fully,” Minister Mhona said.
“So we are comfortably out of the woods, we are out of the ground now with most of the concrete structures. Overall for all the concrete works for the 15 bridges, our progress is standing at 77 percent for all the concrete structures.”
Funding for the project is being done through local financial institutions, while the contractor for the project is a joint venture of three local road construction companies: Tensor Systems, Fossil Contracting, and Masimba Construction, collectively coming under the banner of Tefoma Construction joint venture.
The minister also explained the whole process that was conducted during compensation through the Ministry of Local Government which does the valuations.
Fossil Contracting head of operations Engineer Kudakwashe Maguta also said, “Mbudzi Interchange is a graded section interchange which comprises of 15 bridge
Of the 15 bridges, 13 are on the interchange and two bridges are off-site bridges in Amalinda Drive and Harare Drive. The bridges on the interchange, about six of the bridges are substantially complete, that is bridge number two, bridge number six, bridge number eight, bridge number 10, bridge number 11, bridge number 12, and all the other bridges, are at an advanced stage. Some are at 40 percent but the majority of them are now above 60 percent.
The interchange will arguably be the biggest outside of South Africa.
The Zimbabwe National Organisation of Associations of Residents Trusts (ZNOART) National Executive led by Chairman Mr. Shalvar Chikomba also accompanied Minister of Transport and International Development, Hon Felix Mhona to tour the Mbudzi Interchange project, who was joined by Harare Metropolitan Province Minister, Hon CZ Tavengwa and Deputy Minister of Transport Hon Joshua Sacco.
The tour was necessitated by the need for residents to get full information and appreciate works and projects being done by the central government.