Zimbabwe to officially open $88 million Trabablas Interchange

Zimbabwe is poised to celebrate a landmark achievement in its ambitious road infrastructure overhaul as the state-of-the-art Trabablas Interchange is set to officially open to traffic this Friday. The multi-million-dollar project, driven by the visionary leadership of the Second Republic, marks a significant milestone in modernising the country's transport network.

The Trabablas Interchange, costing US$88 million, is designed to ease traffic congestion at one of Harare's busiest junctions, where Simon Mazorodze Road, Chitungwiza Road, and High Glen Road converge. This modern interchange replaces the aging Mbudzi roundabout, which was constructed in 1998.

Construction of the interchange began in January 2022 under a consortium of local contractors - Tensor Systems, Fossil Contracting, and Masimba Construction - operating jointly as Tefoma Construction. The project showcases the capability of Zimbabwean engineers and construction firms to deliver complex infrastructure projects to international standards.

Featuring 15 bridges, the interchange is expected to streamline traffic flow between Harare, Masvingo, Chitungwiza, and the southern suburbs including Glen Norah and Glen View. This development aligns with the Second Republic's broader road development strategy aimed at fostering economic growth, improving connectivity, and enhancing public safety.

Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona, addressing the Senate last week, highlighted the Trabablas Interchange as a crucial component of the North-South Corridor - a major regional trade route connecting Zimbabwe to its Southern African Development Community (SADC) neighbours and beyond.

"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," Minister Mhona 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 forms part of the ongoing rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Harare-Beitbridge-Chirundu highway. Minister Mhona reported that 492.9 kilometres of the Harare-Beitbridge road have been completed, with the remaining 87.1 kilometres scheduled for completion by the last quarter of 2025.

The Harare-Chirundu road section is slated for upgrade starting in early 2026, involving widening, rehabilitation, and dualisation, with an expected completion date in mid-2027.

Complementing road improvements, the government is also modernising critical border posts to facilitate smoother cross-border trade and travel. The Beitbridge Border Post upgrade was completed in September 2023 under a public-private partnership (PPP), and a similar PPP agreement is now in place for the Chirundu Border Post.

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

Further infrastructure development includes the planned upgrade of the Forbes Border Post, with work scheduled to begin later this year and completion anticipated by the end of 2027.

The inauguration of the Trabablas Interchange exemplifies Zimbabwe's ongoing commitment to achieving Vision 2030  -  transforming the nation into an upper middle-income economy through strategic infrastructure investments and enhanced regional connectivity.