BCC starts repairing Luveve Road

BULAWAYO City Council (BCC) has started rehabilitating some sections of Luveve Road that are now impassable due to potholes that have been worsened by the rains.

The local authourity needs US$9 million to completely overhaul the entire length of the 9,2km Luveve Road but funding constraints has forced the local authority to attend to some critical sections only.

The once smooth Luveve road, like most of council's 2 400km road network is now in a very bad state especially after the Mazayi river bridge in Makokoba suburb as well as after the Matshobana traffic lights opposite Petrotrade filling station.

In a notice, town clerk Mr Christopher Dube said the improvement works which started on Monday, will run for three months.

"The motoring public is hereby notified of the proposed Luveve road improvement works between Waverly Street and Intemba drive. The works will comprise of pothole patching, localised pavement reconstruction, overlays, reinstating of carriageway markings, drainage and other general maintenance works. Once completed, these works will prolong the life of the carriageway, improve road safety and ride quality," said Mr Dube.

He said to ensure the safety of both the motoring public and council workforce, there will be a full carriageway closure of sections of the road with traffic being diverted as lane closures are necessary.

Council communications officer Ms Bongiwe Ngwenya in an emailed response to Chronicle questions said US$9 million is required to fully rehabilitate Luveve road.

"Luveve road from Lobengula Street to Intemba road has various modes and degrees of pavement distress which are evident along its length. Ideally the entire length of Luveve road is due for improvement works which are estimated to cost approximately US$9 million. But due to funding constraints, the intention is to attend to critical sections that are now impassable due to localised clutters of potholes within Luveve road and the improvement works are estimated to cost approximately US$1.2 million. The city's roads have further deteriorated due to recent rains and this has adversely affected the city's entire road network. The scope of works will include localised pavement reconstruction, asphalt concrete overlay, drainage works, signage and markings," Ms Ngwenya said.

She said the works will be implemented using in-house teams supported with hired plant and equipment to mitigate against inflated prices by private companies.

Luveve road is one of the six priority roads that the city council intends to rehabilitate.

The other five are Khami, Steelworks, Matopos, Wellington and a road in the city centre.

Last year, the local authority managed to rehabilitate only three of the 10 roads which had been identified as needing attention.

There were reseal works on Madibheni road at Entumbane suburb, Nketa drive between Khami road and Hyde Park road as well as overlay works on Woodville Park road with council blaming delays in payments, and unavailability of road repair materials a situation which was further compounded by the obsolete plant and equipment which was constantly down thereby adversely affecting both the planned and routine maintenance programmes.

After the launch of the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP2) in 2021, the Government last year allocated the City of Bulawayo over $1 billion for road rehabilitation works against an estimated City road rehabilitation cost of US$700 million.