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Mashudu Netsianda, Senior Reporter
SEVERAL Government-funded projects in Bulawayo are almost complete with one of the major feeder roads being rehabilitated under the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme 2 (ERRP2) set to be opened to the motoring public next month.

Also, some shops which were looted and burnt during the January 2019 anti-Government protests were rebuilt by the armed forces. The shops were retooled and reconstructed after Government availed the emergency business loan relief fund to the owners. Seven shops benefited from the loan scheme.

Bulawayo was the worst affected when opposition hooligans went on a rampage, vandalised and burnt buildings.

Reconstructed shops in New Magwegwe and Lobengula West are now operational while others like in Entumbane construction is in progressing.

In terms of road rehabilitation, Bulawayo was allocated more than $625 million for the rehabilitation of its estimated road network covering 2 460km and the money is being disbursed in batches. Siyepambili Drive covering a 16,3km stretch from Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road turn-off to the Bulawayo-Plumtree Road in Belmont is expected to be completed on October 31. At least 9,2km of the stretch has been resurfaced.

Various sections along 4th Avenue and 8th Avenue, Fife, Samuel Parirenyatwa, Lobengula and Herbert Chitepo streets and Matopos Road are also being rehabilitated.

Bulawayo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Judith Ncube yesterday toured some of the major projects in the city which included the refurbished shops, roads being rehabilitated under the ERRP2 and Mpilo Central Hospital where Government is reconstructing the hospital’s staff residences that were gutted by fire in May.

Government has released $287 million towards reconstruction of three doctors’ quarters and a nurses’ hostel. The project which started in June is set to be completed this month.

Minister Ncube expressed satisfaction with progress on the works.

“Government is committed to transforming the city’s infrastructure as evidenced by the ongoing rehabilitation of roads, reconstruction of shops, which were looted and burnt by hooligans in January 2019 and the rebuilding of Mpilo Central Hospital staff residences. There is tremendous progress, particularly on our roads, which had turned into death traps,” she said.

“I had an opportunity to move around the city to assess progress and I am glad to say everything is going well and some of the roads like Siyepambili Drive are almost complete. We expect to see more roads being rehabilitated as we approach the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) so that our city is attractive to investors.”

Turning to Mpilo Central Hospital, Minister Ncube said the pace at which the work is progressing was pleasing.

“After fire razed staff residences at Mpilo Central Hospital, Government quickly moved in to address the issue of accommodation challenges for our doctors and nurses who were affected forcing us to relocate them to St Patrick’s Hotel, Hillside Teachers’ College and United College of Education among other Government institutions,” she said.

“Work on the reconstruction of the staff residences is progressing at a fast pace and very soon doctors will be back to their places of residence. There are a lot of improvements that were done and we thank His Excellency President Mnangagwa for spearheading development throughout the country.”

Provincial roads engineer for Bulawayo and Matabeleland North, Engineer Stephen Kamutema said works on 2,5km of the Siyepambili Drive stretch in Entumbane, which was worst affected will be open to the public in four weeks’ time.

“We are doing a total reconstruction of a section of Siyepambili Drive stretch, which is 1,4km because patching was not going to have maximum desired result. Another section, which is close to Victoria Falls Road, is 650 metres long, was also reconstructed and surfaced and opened to traffic,” he said.

“We outsourced the project and the contractor is one of our parastatals the Central Mechanical Equipment Department (CMED). By end of October, the entire road will be complete with all the carriageway markings.”

Bulawayo City Council (BCC) director of engineering services Engineer Simela Dube said some of the activities that will be added to the ERRP2 include improving on street lighting.

Eng Dube said they have started an overlay from Bristol Road to 23rd Avenue in Belmont under the ERRP2.

Provincial Development Co-ordinator for Bulawayo Mr Paul Nyoni said under the programme, the Government is rehabilitating 54 roads in Bulawayo.

Major roads being rehabilitated under the ERRP2 include Fife Street (Masotsha Ndlovu Avenue to 23rd Avenue, 4,1 kilometres), Luveve Road-arterial (Lobengula Street to Nguboyenja Avenue, 2,1 kilometres), Luveve Road-arterial (Nguboyenja to Siyepambili Drive, 4,7 kilometres), Waverly Road (Sixth Avenue Extension to Khami Road, 1,7 kilometres), Matopos Road (23rd Avenue to Leander Avenue, 2,5 kilometres) and Matopos Road (Leander Avenue to City boundary, 2,9 kilometres).

Others include; Nketa Drive-major collector (Hyde Road to Emadibheni Road 2,1 kilometres), Nketa Drive-major collector (Hyde Park Road to Khami Road 1,1 kilometres), Coghlan Avenue (George Avenue and Cecil Avenue, 2,8 kilometres), George Avenue (Gwanda Road to Harare Road, 2,4 kilometres), Dundee Drive (Plumtree Road to Matopos, 2,9 kilometres), Cowdray Corridor (Railway line to Cowdray Park service station, 2,9 kilometres), Doncaster Road (Bristol Rd South to 23rd Avenue 1,09 kilometres) and Josiah Chinamano 14th Avenue to Halifax Road, 2,9 kilometres.

Once completed the works will prolong the life of the carriageway and improve road safety.