Given that the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara) recently invested $30 billion in road upgrades, reconstruction of the crucial Rwenya Bridge, in Mudzi district, in the far north of Mashonaland East, and carrying the near border road linking Mudzi with Manicaland, is expected to be completed this year.
The Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme 2 (ERRP2), a significant program of the Second Republic that transforms policy on paper into roads and bridges that people can walk, ride, and drive along, includes the reconstruction of failed infrastructure, and repair of damaged roads. It also involves the general restoration of high-quality road communications.
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Pedestrians are now allowed to use a part of the bridge to cross the river. It is said that the contractor at Rwenya Bridge, Bitumen World, is currently working on pouring concrete on the decks.
Rwenya Bridge reconstruction total cost after completion
The 3,662-meter wide, 206-meter-long bridge will have a $5 billion total project cost when it is complete. More than ten years ago, the Rwenya bridge was damaged by flooding. The damages paralyzed socio-economic activities between the two provinces at their northern end.
According to Mashonaland East Provincial Roads Engineer Mrs. Martha Ndoro, there has been noticeable progress on the project. As part of the contract, the contractor will also work on approaches from both sides.
The completion of the bridge, according to Mr. Shingirai Chiriga of Mudzi, would have a positive impact on commerce between Kotwa and Nyanga districts. The Nyanga district’s Mrs. Miriam Kangutsi expressed her delight at how quickly the construction work was progressing.
An employee of Bitumen World checks a section of the bridge where the contractor is getting ready to pour concrete on the decks. In addition to the Rwenya bridge restorations, the government has contracted Masimba Holdings to improve the 22-kilometer Hwedza-Mushandirapamwe road.
