News / Local
Bulawayo needs $700 million for roads rehab
20 Oct 2015 at 05:06hrs | Views
BULAWAYO City Council (BCC) requires $700 million to rehabilitate its road network. Speaking during a tour of the city by the Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Joram Gumbo to assess the state of roads in Matabeleland region on Friday, Acting Town Clerk Sikhangele Zhou said a total of 2,085 kilometres were in a poor state.
"Seventy percent of the city's road network of 2,085km is in poor condition. According to the Road Condition Survey of 2013, $700 million is required to bring the entire road network to good or better condition," she said. She said a total of 354km required immediate rehabilitation to bring it to a better condition.
Zhou said the council's road rehabilitation programme for this year involved overlays, reseals and re-gravelling in addition to the routine maintenance activities. "A total of 56km was earmarked for rehabilitation this year at a budget of $5,129,836 being funded by council and Zinara," she said. Zhou added that the council funds routine maintenance activities through its revenue budget. "We've so far completed 20km in reseals for Jukwa, Siyephambili, 23rd Avenue, Ngcebetsha, Vera, Old Falls, Ematsheni, Birkenhead and Cecil," she said.
"We've also completed the reconstruction of a 10km road sections for Huggins, Gwabalanda Drive, Wellington and Ematsheni." "We've done re-gravelling for unsurfaced roads city wide which include ward 4, 6, 21, 25 and 26," said Zhou. She said some of the projects for the reconstruction and overlaying by the local authority were yet to commence.
"We're yet to reconstruct Glenville Drive, Mazwi, Bilston, Coventry, Churchill, Market, Circular and Mbundane. Luveve Road, Masiyephambili and Hyde Park road sections are also yet to be overlayed," she said. She added that Mpopoma Avenue, Intemba and Huggins road sections reseals was in progress.
Zhou said the local authority has so far purchased 28 plant units at a cost of $2.7 million to help improve its service delivery.
"Zinara complements council on road maintenance and rehabilitation. The use of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Kelvin batching plant for producing premix and paver for overlays is acknowledged and appreciated," she said. The 2015 annual allocation for BCC from Zinara was $899,000 and to date $460,000 has been disbursed.
"Seventy percent of the city's road network of 2,085km is in poor condition. According to the Road Condition Survey of 2013, $700 million is required to bring the entire road network to good or better condition," she said. She said a total of 354km required immediate rehabilitation to bring it to a better condition.
Zhou said the council's road rehabilitation programme for this year involved overlays, reseals and re-gravelling in addition to the routine maintenance activities. "A total of 56km was earmarked for rehabilitation this year at a budget of $5,129,836 being funded by council and Zinara," she said. Zhou added that the council funds routine maintenance activities through its revenue budget. "We've so far completed 20km in reseals for Jukwa, Siyephambili, 23rd Avenue, Ngcebetsha, Vera, Old Falls, Ematsheni, Birkenhead and Cecil," she said.
"We've also completed the reconstruction of a 10km road sections for Huggins, Gwabalanda Drive, Wellington and Ematsheni." "We've done re-gravelling for unsurfaced roads city wide which include ward 4, 6, 21, 25 and 26," said Zhou. She said some of the projects for the reconstruction and overlaying by the local authority were yet to commence.
"We're yet to reconstruct Glenville Drive, Mazwi, Bilston, Coventry, Churchill, Market, Circular and Mbundane. Luveve Road, Masiyephambili and Hyde Park road sections are also yet to be overlayed," she said. She added that Mpopoma Avenue, Intemba and Huggins road sections reseals was in progress.
Zhou said the local authority has so far purchased 28 plant units at a cost of $2.7 million to help improve its service delivery.
"Zinara complements council on road maintenance and rehabilitation. The use of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Kelvin batching plant for producing premix and paver for overlays is acknowledged and appreciated," she said. The 2015 annual allocation for BCC from Zinara was $899,000 and to date $460,000 has been disbursed.
Source - chronicle
