The Sunday News
Vusumuzi Dube, Online News Editor
THE Bulawayo City Council has been approached by a number of private companies that are committed to adopting a number of roads in the city and rehabilitate them at their own expense.
The move will come as a boost to the city’s roads rehabilitation programme with the local authority recently announcing that the ongoing Government-funded Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme 2 (ERRP2) has started working on key roads at a cost of more than $768 million.
According to the latest council report, two companies – Hopeville Developers and Davis Granite Private Limited – have expressed interest in the rehabilitation of a number of roads in the city.
“The Acting Director of Engineering Services (Engineer Sikhumbuzo Ncube) reported (9 March, 2022) that Hopeville Developers had expressed interest in reconstructing Woodville Road from Airport Road to the end of the development extents, approximately 1.7 kilometre long.
“The details, terms and conditions of the donations would be communicated in due course.
The department had also been approached by Davis Granite Private Limited, requesting to adopt two intersections, Plumtree Road and 23rd Avenue and Khami Road and Nketa Drive.
The exact details of the proposed improvement works were yet to be confirmed by Davis Granite,” reads the report.
The local authority noted that while they were still waiting for Davis Granite to confirm their final scope of works, these would include kerbing and paving, overlay works, road markings and road studs.
“The department was currently waiting for Davis Granite to advise on the proposed scope of works.
The Ministry of Transport (and Infrastructural Development) had been consulted with regard to proposed works on Plumtree Road and they are yet to respond,” reads the report.
Meanwhile, the local authority is working on the use of road construction technology for cost effective and durable roads. Already a draft expression of interest has been forwarded by the department to Procurement Management Unit for processing to kick start the process.
“The Acting Director of Engineering Services reported that the department was currently considering various polymer stabilisers or emulsion available in the market that provide engineering solutions for the road construction industry.
These stabilisers were used for soil stabilisation, road seals, road maintenance, dust suppression, structural waterproofing and capitalisation of waste materials.
The department had been in communication with various companies which had shown interest in using these polymer stabilisers on the City’s road network and was considering using these on gravel roads, on trial basis.
“Benefits of polymer stabilisers include reduced construction cost, reduced construction period, good resistance to corrosion and deterioration, resistance to water penetration and resistance to damage from seasonal changes.
The stabilisers were economically advantageous and they appeared to meet the City’s requirements and needs,” reads the report.
Most of Bulawayo’s roads have outlived their life span and 70 percent need rehabilitation.
Council corporate affairs manager Mrs Nesisa Mpofu
Council corporate affairs manager Mrs Nesisa Mpofu is on record saying for a long time the local authority had focused on maintenance of major roads, arterials, collector roads, the Central Business District as it could not rehabilitate all the roads due to financial constraints.
