THE government has commissioned South Africa’s Royal Haskoning DHV to conduct a feasibility study to determine the viability of construction and tolling to improve the Harare-Beitbridge Road.
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The study — which would be carried out in association with five Zimbabwean partner firms — involves traffic studies, development of a toll strategy, engineering analysis and concept design, environmental impact scoping, economic feasibility study, financial modelling and preparation of draft project information memorandum for investors.
The Harare-Beitbridge Road comprises a portion of the trunk road network of Zimbabwe, as well as the North to South Corridor — one of the major arterial links in the regional road network.
The road is the most direct link between Harare and Pretoria, South Africa, and provides landlocked Zambia access to the Indian Ocean ports of Durban and Richards Bay.
“The road carries between 1 000 and 5 000 vehicles a day, with the heavier flows in the proximity of Harare,” Royal HaskoningDHV project manager Phil Hasluck explained.
“Of significance is the fact that a high proportion of this traffic are trucks carrying goods, equipment and machinery that support the Zimbabwean economic recovery.”
The 580km long road project, which starts just outside Harare and ends at the Beitbridge border post, is a single carriageway, two-lane road with numerous bridges.
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Although well-maintained in the past, the road is over 40 years old and is rapidly deteriorating under increased heavy vehicle traffic.
Alternatives to improve it as a single carriageway road or to add certain sections as dual carriageway would be assessed.
