GOVERNMENT has allocated $70,5 billion to the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP 2) to rehabilitate priority trunk and tertiary road projects in provinces and districts as well as major arteries in urban areas.
Last year, $16,9 billion was allocated for the programme.
In his 2023 national budget statement, Finance and Economic Development Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube also allocated $3 billion to the District Development Fund (DDF) which was recently renamed Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (RIDA), for re-gravelling and maintaining rural feeder roads.
134km have already been rehabilitated and re-gravelled.
The department has a road network of more than 32 000km across the country which it has been actively working on.
It is also heavily involved in the drilling of 35 000 boreholes under the Presidential Borehole Drilling Scheme.
“In addition (to the ERRP2 allocation), the road fund will support the maintenance of roads under road authorities, with $41 billion being channelled towards various road projects and a further $43,5 billion allocated for other road infrastructure assets, covering tollgate infrastructure development and Vehicle Inspectorate Department (VID) weighbridges.
In the road sector, priority is on upgrading and rehabilitation of the road network, with emphasis on the completion of ongoing rehabilitation works of major roads and re-gravelling of feeder roads, said Minister Ncube.
The minister said the upgrading of the 580km Harare-Beitbridge highway, a strategic transport route as a critical section of the North-South Corridor will be prioritised for completion during 2023.
$43 billion has been set aside for that project.
By the end of October 2022, a total of 355km had been opened to traffic, while the remaining sections are under construction.
“To facilitate value for money in the implementation of the Programme, Government with the assistance of the World Bank Group is developing a standardised framework of evaluating road construction input costs for adoption and use by all road authorities.
Support from Japan, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), amounting to JPY97 million, (approximately US$0,7 million) in grant funding will ensure the finalisation of a Detailed Design Survey for Phase 2 Road Improvement Project, meant to construct climbing lanes and widening of sharp curves on the road section between Makuti and Hell’s Gate,” said Minister Ncube.
This week, Bulawayo City submitted a budget of $3 billion to Government after it pledged to release funds to rehabilitate some of the city’s unnavigable roads due to potholes. The local authority has identified five key roads that require emergency rehabilitation, Luveve Road, Matopos Road, Wellington Road, Khami Road and Steelworks Road. – The Chronicle
