The Sunday Mail
Nokuthula Dube
The Government has spent over $4 billion in rehabilitating and reconstructing more than 20 000km of roads countrywide under the Emergency Roads Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP) this year.
To date, about 10 000km of road network has been re-gravelled, surpassing the set target of 8 000km, while over 11 000km have been graded.
Up to 318km have been rehabilitated against a target of 627km, while over 8 000km have been resealed and pothole-patched.
Transport and Infrastructural Development Permanent Secretary Engineer Theodius Chinyanga told The Sunday Mail that the programme had registered significant progress.
“The Emergency Roads Rehabilitation Programme 2 (ERRP2) continues to register significant progress throughout the country’s 10 provinces,” he said.
“Potholes have been patched on a cumulative 7 156km of road against a set target of 10 119km, 1 425km have been resealed.
“Re-gravelling has been completed on 10 946km, exceeding the set target of 8 339km.
“In addition, 11 528,9km have been graded against a set target of 16 284km.”
Under the programme, Treasury released $1,4 billion to the Department of Roads under the Ministry of Transport.
The District Development Fund (DDF) received $1,3 billion, while urban and rural councils got $826 million and $700 million respectively. The Government, said Engineer Chinyanga, has also constructed and repaired over 1 150 drainage structures in preparation for the rainy season, while over 7 000km of drains have been cleared.
“To date, 1 150 drainage structures have been constructed or repaired across all road authorities, while 204 wash-aways have been reclaimed against set targets of 556 and 167 respectively.
“Verge clearing has been completed on 10 309,1km of the set target of 22 489km.”
The ERRP2 began in April and is set to run over 36 months.
Over 26 000km of the road network will be rehabilitated, repaired and pothole-patched this year.
The Government has set aside US$400 million for the programme, which will run over the next three years.
