Motorists call for expansion of Blue Star Bridge

Motorists in Mutare have called for urgent expansion of the Flyover Section and
rehabilitation of the Blue Star Bridge along the Mutare-Chimanimani Road.
The Flyover section which narrows down from a two lane freeway is constantly congested
especially during peak hours and motorists have called for its widening to accommodate huge
volumes of traffic
Early this year, Acting Manicaland Provincial Road Engineer, Kudzai Maganga said the
project had taken shape as authority was granted for the department to source for competent
civil engineers to go on tender. The process according to Maganga was expected to take a
month to complete.
However, seven months down the line motorists are still faced with traffic congestion
challenges.
In response to the road network concerns, Engineer Maganga said works on the Murambinda-
Birchenough road had been stalled by the delays in the provision of road designs resulting in
the project shifted to next year.
“We are rescheduling it for next year because of some technical challenges. We were
supposed to be provided with designs and they were not delivered in time and now we are
approaching the construction shutdown we might as well work towards having the designs in
place for next year,” said Eng Maganga.
He also noted that a contractor for the Blue Star Bridge reconstruction had been awarded a
tender with road designs already in place but they were going through the final validation
process of the tender to which the department was waiting on results.
“The Blue Star bridge we had awarded a contractor but there is a process of due diligence
that is being undertaken at the moment by all government departments and agencies and we
still waiting for the results of the validation exercise. The results will then determine whether
the projects are to be carried through or negotiated downwards or terminated.
“The tender was already awarded and the designs were already provided for, we just waiting
on the validation results to go ahead,” he added.
Eng Maganga stressed that the flyover expansion project was long term as it involved a
number of stakeholders and required feasibility studies to be undertaken first.
“And the Flyover Expansion project was not scheduled for this year because it is a long term
project. The project is to be undertaken after the completion of the Blue Star bridge which is
merely 200 meters away. The expansion requires feasibility studies and involves a number of
stakeholders because the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) will also be affected by the
expansion of the flyover,” said Eng Maganga.