KEY POINTS

• The Mabvuku Interchange is 90% complete and expected to be handed over next month.

• The project aims to reduce traffic congestion and accidents along the Harare-Mutare Highway.

• Construction has started at Msasa, with Delport Road next in line.

Motorists travelling along Zimbabwe’s Harare-Mutare Highway could soon experience less congestion as construction of the Mabvuku Interchange has reached 90% completion.

The interchange, located at the junction of Harare Drive and Harare-Mutare Road, is expected to be handed over to the Ministry of Transport next month, according to Brighton Mashonganyika, project manager for contractor Premier Rocks.

The project is designed to separate high-speed highway traffic from vehicles travelling to and from nearby communities and commercial areas, including Mabvuku, Tafara, Ruwa and Msasa.

The junction has been identified as a major traffic bottleneck, with congestion and accidents creating difficulties for motorists. Separating the different streams of traffic is expected to improve road safety and ease movement through the area.

Mashonganyika said the project was part of a wider effort to improve traffic flow along the Harare-Mutare Highway.

Construction Moves to Msasa and Delport Road

With work at Mabvuku approaching completion, the contractor has begun the next phase of the Greater Harare Interchanges Project at Msasa.

Piling and foundation works are underway at the Msasa Interchange. Equipment will subsequently be moved to Delport Road, where another interchange, designed in a trumpet configuration, is planned.

The progress was outlined during a site tour organised by Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services. The delegation included acting Information Minister Paul Mavima, Harare Metropolitan Province Minister Charles Tawengwa and Deputy Minister Omphile Marupi.

Construction of the Mabvuku project began in September 2025 following the clearing of vegetation and the establishment of temporary diversion routes to accommodate traffic during the works.

The wider programme is intended to address congestion at several busy junctions across Greater Harare, including Jaggers/Msasa, Delport Road and Seke Road.

Delport Road to Create Alternative Route to Airport

One of the planned improvements under the wider project is a 19-kilometre surfaced road linking Mutare Road with Airport Road and Seke Road.

Once completed, the route is expected to provide motorists with an alternative to travelling through Harare’s city centre when heading towards Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport and Chitungwiza.

The new connection could reduce pressure on existing urban roads by allowing some traffic to bypass the central business district. It is also expected to improve connectivity between major roads serving the capital and surrounding communities.

The benefits will depend on the completion of the planned infrastructure and how effectively the new routes connect with the existing road network.

Highway Plays Key Role in Regional Trade

The Harare-Mutare Highway is an important transport route for Zimbabwe because it forms part of the Beira Corridor, which connects the country to Mozambique’s Port of Beira through Forbes Border Post.

The corridor carries commuter traffic, domestic commercial vehicles and regional freight moving between Zimbabwe and the Mozambican port.

Improving traffic flow along the highway could therefore benefit not only daily commuters but also businesses that depend on reliable road transport to move goods across the region.

The Mabvuku Interchange is among the infrastructure projects being implemented under President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration.

As work advances at Msasa and preparations continue for the Delport Road interchange, the broader programme is expected to address several congestion hotspots across Greater Harare. The planned handover of Mabvuku next month will mark a key milestone in that effort.