After a construction pause, work on the Alaska-Copper Queen road has resumed, with tarring on the first 10km section set to begin soon. Kindness Paradza, Deputy Minister of Information, Publicity, and Broadcasting Services, verified the news recently in the Makonde constituency during the handing ceremony of COTTCO Zimbabwe-funded awards to the top three national cotton producers for the year 2021.
Alaska-Copper Queen Road Upgrade Progress
Tarring of the first 10km stretch worked on by the contractor is planned to begin by the end of this month. The contractor is also anticipated to begin regravelling and upgrading the remaining 20 kilometers from Kanyaga to Kenzamba.
This road is a showpiece project of President Mnangagwa and the Second Republic aimed at improving the lives of community farmers. The 60km length from Chidzuwi Pools in Alaska to Sanyati Bridge was upgraded after the Second Republic took control, with a local contractor working on at least 20 kilometres during the fourth quarter of 2021.
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Its completion is projected to shorten the distance between Harare and the Midlands province’s Gokwe North area. Simbarashe Gomo, Mashonaland West roads engineer, stated that the department will collaborate with the contractor to ensure the project’s success and that farmers would benefit more from their investments. Transport charges are exorbitant, with operators claiming that it is necessary to cover expenditures and gasoline consumed to travel the route.
They allege that owing to the poor status of the road, their vehicles are constantly breaking down. Farmers and villagers whose communities are within the first 20-kilometre length covered thus far, on the other hand, have praised the government for prioritizing the route. They are also sure that the improved road would result in earnings from their farming operations. Deputy Minister Paradza further stated that farmers were expected to build new houses with the proceeds from cotton and other crop output.
