Staff Reporter
HARARE — The government on Monday commissioned the Manyame Bridge in Beatrice, as part of efforts to complete the Harare–Masvingo–Beitbridge highway and strengthen the North–South Corridor.
Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona said the bridge is a strategic link connecting Zimbabwe to regional markets, including South Africa, Zambia, and Malawi.
“We are excited that bridges are there to bridge geographical gaps. This is the north-south corridor where we are moving south to South Africa, north to Zambia, and Malawi,” Mhona said at the commissioning ceremony.
Mhona said the bridge is part of a broader infrastructure programme guided by a national “dashboard” used to identify priority areas for bridge construction.
The commissioning comes as the government pushes to complete the 580km Harare–Masvingo–Beitbridge rehabilitation project. Mhona said 550km has been completed, leaving 30km outstanding.
“We anticipate opening the remaining 30km during the course of the year. What will be outstanding are interchanges along this corridor,” he said.
Planned interchanges include sections at Rothmans and Mbare near ZBC studios.
Mhona said the project is being funded through domestic resource mobilisation amid fiscal constraints.
“Tapping into the fiscus is difficult. We are under very difficult circumstances where we are using our own resources. Regardless of those stumbling blocks, we have managed as a country,” he said.
The Manyame Bridge is one of two structures scheduled for commissioning this week, with the Mucheke River Bridge in Masvingo set to open on Thursday.
Looking ahead, Mhona said the government will shift focus to the Harare–Chirundu highway, with rehabilitation works expected to begin between August and September.
He added that two road-over-rail bridges are planned along the corridor at Bubi and Fairfields, with works already underway to make sections trafficable.
At Ngundu, about 16km of road is being dualised, with more than 60 percent of the work complete. The stretch, including overtaking lanes in mountainous terrain, is expected to open between August and September.
The Harare–Masvingo–Beitbridge road is a key trade route under the North–South Corridor, linking Zimbabwe to regional ports.
