TRABABLAS INTERCHANGE OPENS TO TRAFFIC THIS WEEK

A milestone in Zimbabwe’s bold strategy to modernise its road infrastructure, the state-of-the-art Trabablas Interchange, a multi-million-dollar project under the Second Republic’s visionary leadership, is set to officially open to traffic this Friday.

This milestone not only signifies significant progress in enhancing the nation’s transportation network, but also demonstrates the Second Republic’s commitment to delivering ambitious infrastructure projects that will drive economic growth and improve the quality of life for Zimbabweans.

The project is part of the road development strategy initiated by the Second Republic, which has seen a raft of large-scale road construction and rehabilitation projects underway across the country.

Positive economic and social outcomes are expected from such a programme and these include enhanced connectivity between urban centres and rural areas, facilitating smoother transport of goods and services, improving public safety on the roads, boosting tourism and ultimately contributing to the realisation of Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030 to be an upper middle-income economy.

Motorists will start accessing the US$88 million state-of-the-art Trabablas Interchange soon after its commissioning, expected to be presided over by President Mnangagwa on Friday.

The project aims to ease traffic congestion at one of the country’s busiest and most strategic intersections.

Located at the confluence of Simon Mazorodze Road, Chitungwiza Road and High Glen Road in Harare, the interchange replaces the Mbudzi roundabout that was built in 1998.

Construction of the Trabablas Interchange began in January 2022 and is part of the broader initiative to transform Zimbabwe into an upper middle-income economy by 2030.

The interchange is a key component of the North-South Corridor — a major regional trade route linking Zimbabwe with Southern African Development Community (SADC) neighbours and the rest of the continent.

The project was undertaken by a consortium of three local contractors — Tensor Systems, Fossil Contracting and Masimba Construction — operating under the Tefoma Construction joint venture.

The project marked a significant milestone in Zimbabwe’s infrastructure development history, as it demonstrated the ability of local engineers and firms to deliver complex, large-scale projects to international standards.

The completed interchange features 15 bridges and will streamline the flow of traffic to and from Harare, Masvingo, Chitungwiza and southern suburbs, including Glen Norah and Glen View.

Speaking in the Senate during a question-and-answer session on Thursday last week, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona said the Trabablas Interchange was a vital component of the North–South Corridor.

“We then come to an important feature of the North-South Corridor along Simon Mazorodze, the Trabablas Interchange — Masvingo, Glen Norah Loop, Harare Drive Missing Link and Amalinda Road and Bridge were completed and opened to traffic last year, 2024,” he said.

“I am pleased to inform the nation that His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Comrade Dr ED Mnangagwa, on May 30, 2025, will commission this significant project.”

The interchange is a significant part of the broader rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Harare-Beitbridge-Chirundu highway, currently under development.

Minister Mhona told the House that 492,9 kilometres (km) of the Harare-Beitbridge section had been completed, with 87,1km remaining.

This stretch is expected to be completed in the last quarter of 2025.

Rehabilitation of the Harare-Chirundu section is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2026.

“The Harare-Chirundu Road Project, which actually is ongoing in terms of just maintaining the road, is a continuation of the North-South Corridor, connecting the capital city Harare to Zambia through the Chirundu Border,” he said.

“The scope includes the upgrading, widening, rehabilitation and dualisation of certain sections of the road.

“The main works are targeted to commence in the first quarter of 2026 and we have a construction period of 18 months due to be completed in mid-2027.”

To complement road infrastructure improvements, the Government is modernising critical border posts.

The upgrading and modernisation of the Beitbridge Border Post was completed in September 2023 under a public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement that began in 2021.

A similar PPP has now been entered into for the Chirundu Border Post, which already operates as a one-stop border post.

“The Government has engaged a partner that shall finance, upgrade and maintain the project for a period of 25 years,” Minister Mhona said.

“The border, located in Mashonaland West, already operates as a one-stop border post. Therefore, modernisation shall add value to the efficiency in the movement of goods and people.”

Minister Mhona revealed that upgrading of the Forbes Border Post is set to begin at the end of this year, with completion expected by the end of 2027. *_-Sunday Mail_*