Mutare City Council, which has embarked on a road rehabilitation exercise, completes refurbishment of a kilometer stretch of First Street for a whooping US$2,5 million.
Confirming the development Mutare City spokesperson Spren Mutiwi said the road rehabilitation programme is expected to ease traffic movements in the city.
Mutiwi said the local municipality needs at least US$30million to refurbish 500 kilometer stretch of roads in the city, under its broad objectives of establishing a Smart City Status.
He said council contracted Fossils Contractors which he commented for a good job, under supervision of the local authority.
“City of Mutare has completed the resealing of First Street, covering the distance of 1.1 kilometers as the local authority engages in over drive to refurbish the road network.
“The project was carried out to the tune of US$2, 5 million, council engaged the Fossils Contractors to do the job whilst the local authority plays the supervisory role.
“Periodic road maintenance is still in progress, the local authority plays the supervisory role and we continue to role out routine maintenance programme engaging in pothole patching, the new road network has already renewed the confidence of business motorists who operate along the street,” he said.
Mutiwi said the newly resurfaced road has become a marvel for motorists who are now preferring to use the new road infrastructure.
He said the municipality is relying on grants from Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (ZINARA), which is inadequate to spruce up the city’s dilapidated road network.
“The biggest challenges is that almost the entire road network in the city has outlived its lifespan and require resealing, the city requires more than $30 million to upgrade the 500 km stretch of the road network to attain the Smart City Status.
“We can only do as much as we get grants from Zimbabwe National Roads Administration. We hope ZINARA increases the grants and disburse timorously, we will be able to make great impact.
“The local authority is very much determined to change the poor road network and establish modern road infrastructure that befits of a City Status,” he said.
