Harare - Mutare highway dualization, Victoria Falls - Bulawayo highway

Motorists travelling along the busy Harare-Mutare Highway could soon enjoy improved traffic flow as construction of a second bridge across the Musitwe River at Melfort reaches 75 percent completion.

The new bridge, which is expected to be completed in December 2026, is part of the Government's programme to dualise the Harare-Marondera section of the highway, a major transport route connecting Zimbabwe to Mozambique.

Once operational, the structure is expected to eliminate a longstanding traffic bottleneck that forces motorists using the dualised highway to merge onto a single carriageway when crossing the river.

The project, being undertaken by Tensor Systems near Melfort Business Centre, is also expected to improve road safety and facilitate the movement of commercial traffic along the strategic Beira Corridor.

Mashonaland East Provincial Roads Engineer in the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development, Tatenda Marone Pasipamire, confirmed that construction was progressing well despite earlier delays caused by flooding.

Pasipamire said work commenced in May 2025, with contractors initially concentrating on the bridge's foundations before rising water levels in the Musitwe River disrupted construction.

"This bridge is a project that we started last year in May and we did sub-structures, that is the foundations of the bridge, but then we could not proceed with construction because the river was flooded," he said.

Construction resumed during the second quarter of 2026 after conditions improved, allowing contractors to accelerate work on the main structure.

"We then resumed construction in the second quarter of 2026 and right now construction progress is at 75 percent. We are expecting to complete this bridge by December this year," Pasipamire said.

He explained that once the main bridge structure is completed, attention will shift to constructing the approach roads connecting the bridge to the existing dual carriageway.

However, he cautioned that progress on the remaining works would depend on favourable weather conditions.

"Once we complete the bridge construction, and weather permitting, we will start working on the approaches to the bridge, which we could not work on during this bridge construction," he said.

The development has been welcomed by motorists and residents who have long complained about congestion and accidents around the existing bridge.

Motorist Tavengwa Gotora said the project represented an important step towards making the Harare-Mutare Highway safer and more efficient.

"Construction of this bridge is a welcome development and we commend Government for this project, which will ease traffic congestion on this stretch," he said.

Gotora expressed hope that the Government would eventually complete the dualisation of the entire Harare-Marondera stretch.

"The dualisation programme will assist us motorists, particularly in reducing road traffic accidents. My prayer is for this project to be completed. If the road can be dualised from Harare to Marondera, that will be excellent," he added.

Melfort resident Progress Marunganise said the construction of the second bridge had raised hopes among local communities that accidents near the old crossing would become less frequent.

"We have seen a lot of accidents occurring near the old bridge. Lives were lost, goods were destroyed and trucks have been damaged," she said.

"We are excited now, as the people of Melfort, to see progress in terms of this second bridge."

The Harare-Mutare Highway is an important economic route, carrying passenger vehicles, buses and heavy commercial trucks transporting goods between Zimbabwe and the Port of Beira in Mozambique.

Improving infrastructure along the corridor is expected to support regional trade, reduce transport delays and strengthen Zimbabwe's connectivity with neighbouring countries.

For motorists, the completion of the Melfort Bridge will mean an end to the inconvenience of merging into one lane at the river crossing, allowing traffic to flow along separate carriageways.

With construction now three-quarters complete, attention is turning to whether contractors can meet the December deadline and complete the remaining approach roads before the onset of heavy seasonal rains.