Mabvuku Interchange Construction Begins

Oscar J. Jeke- Zim Now Reporter

The government has begun construction work on the Mabvuku Interchange along the Harare-Mutare Highway, marking a major milestone in Zimbabwe’s urban infrastructure transformation.

Bush-clearing operations are now underway to facilitate the establishment of detour routes around the construction zone.

The Mabvuku Interchange, one of several urban mini-interchanges being rolled out under the government’s decongestion strategy, is expected to significantly improve traffic flow, reduce travel time, and enhance road safety for thousands of motorists using the capital’s eastern corridor.

Once completed, the interchange will provide a direct link between the Eastern Highlands, Harare’s city centre, Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, and Chitungwiza, easing pressure on existing traffic arteries.

“This is no longer just talk. You will soon see physical work on the ground,” said Transport and Infrastructure Development Minister Felix Mhona in Parliament.

“We are addressing congestion through modern engineering solutions, and Mabvuku is the starting point for many more projects.”

The Mabvuku Junction project is part of a broader urban mobility initiative that includes the construction of compact, high-capacity “mini-Trabablas” interchanges across key urban hotspots.

According to Minister Mhona, the government is expanding the programme to several locations, including Kuwadzana, where a new interchange will link Kirkman Road, Harare Drive, and the Chirundu Highway.

Other intersections earmarked for similar developments include the former Jaggers roundabout, Churchill and Legacy Way, and the Borrowdale–Harare Drive junction—a key congestion point identified for urgent intervention. Plans are also in place to widen Borrowdale Road to six lanes up to the police station and four lanes beyond Glen Forest.

In Bulawayo, engineers have been instructed to identify priority intersections for future mini-interchange development. This comes as the government accelerates work on other critical road rehabilitation projects.

On the Bulawayo–Victoria Falls Road, Minister Mhona confirmed that five contractors have been deployed to carry out emergency reconstruction and detour development. Each contractor is responsible for a 50-kilometre stretch, tasked with road patching and ongoing maintenance.

Additional work is scheduled for the Kwekwe–Nkayi–Lupane and Bulawayo–Nkayi Roads, both of which are set to provide shorter and safer alternative routes to Victoria Falls.