Mucheke main bridge now 58% complete

The much-anticipated construction of the Mucheke main bridge in Masvingo is advancing steadily, with authorities confirming that the project is now 58 percent complete and expected to be finished by the end of September this year.

Masvingo Deputy Provincial Roads Engineer, Shadreck Kativhu, confirmed the progress, noting that preparations for the final deck of the Chevron Bridge are currently underway. "The bridge at Chevron is now on 58 percent. Preparations are being done for the construction of the final deck and we expect that by end of September we would have completed works at the bridge," Kativhu said.

In addition to the Chevron Bridge, work is also ongoing on other key infrastructure projects in the area. The Chimusana Bridge is reported to be at 2.5 percent completion, with activities focused on relocating sewer lines, laying the bases of foundations, and preparing a detour upstream. Meanwhile, construction of the interchange on Charumbira Street has started and is currently at three percent completion.

The Chevron Bridge project began in June 2024 and was initially slated for completion in February 2025, following several delays over the years. As of March this year, officials had reported the bridge's progress at 40 percent, while designs for the Chimusana Bridge were at advanced stages. Both projects are expected to significantly ease traffic congestion in Masvingo.

Historical context reveals that as far back as the 2012/13 budget, the Masvingo City Council had proposed US$800,000 for widening the Chimusana Bridge, a figure which later rose to at least US$2.5 million in 2014. At the time, the council, under the late Town Clerk Adolf Gusha, attributed the failure to collect the necessary funds to residents not paying their bills.

More recently, in 2018, the government cancelled a tender awarded to Austrian firm Geiger International for modernizing the Harare-Masvingo-Beitbridge highway. Instead, the project was handed over to five local companies: Masimba Holdings, Exodus and Company, Fossil Contracting, Bitumen World, and Tensor.

Under the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP 2), Masimba Construction Company was contracted in 2022 to build additional bridges on the Mucheke River to help alleviate congestion along the busy Harare-Masvingo-Beitbridge highway.

The Mucheke Chevron Bridge plays a critical role in Masvingo's transport network, connecting traffic from the highway to Harare and providing local residents with access to the city's central business district. It is especially vital as it remains the only accessible route when the Chimusana Bridge is flooded. However, traffic congestion often extends from the bridge all the way to Masvingo Polytechnic and Chikato Police Station.

Plans for the Chimusana structures include two new double-lane bridges, each 74 meters long, that will form a four-lane dual carriageway as part of the Masvingo City Bypass. The western bridge will accommodate northbound traffic, while the eastern bridge will serve southbound vehicles. Construction on these bridges began in August 2024 and is expected to be completed by May 2025.

With these infrastructure projects progressing, Masvingo residents and commuters look forward to improved traffic flow and reduced congestion, promising a smoother and safer travel experience in the near future.