Tiyani Hahlani
Centre News Hub
MASVINGO — The dust has barely settled on the newly commissioned Mucheke Bridge. Yet, the sounds and movement of excavators, road graders, and construction crews are once again signaling change in Masvingo as the government moves ahead with the next phase of a project expected to redefine how people, goods, and services move through the city.
The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development has announced the temporary closure of a section of Bradburn Street to facilitate construction works on the Masvingo Bypass Project, a critical component of the ongoing upgrading and rehabilitation of the Harare-Beitbridge Highway.
For motorists, transport operators and businesses, the closure may mean detours and delays over the coming weeks.
For planners and development experts, however, it marks another step in a long-term vision to improve traffic flow, enhance road safety, and strengthen Masvingo’s position as a strategic transport hub linking Zimbabwe to regional markets.
The announcement comes less than two months after Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona officially commissioned the newly constructed Mucheke Bridge on April 30, describing it as a key milestone in the government’s infrastructure modernisation agenda.
Now attention has shifted to the bypass route, which begins at the intersection of Josiah Tongogara Street and Bradburn Street, passes through Chimusana and Charumbira Road, and reconnects with the Masvingo-Beitbridge Road near Masvingo Polytechnic.
In a public notice issued on June 14, the ministry said the traffic changes are necessary to facilitate “upgrading, widening and rehabilitation works on the Harare-Beitbridge Road from kilometer peg 281 to kilometer peg 292.”
According to the ministry, construction works will commence on June 15 and continue until July 24.
“The northbound lane will be closed while the southbound lane will be converted into a two-way carriageway. Upon completion of works on the northbound lane, traffic will be shifted to the newly completed northbound lane while the southbound lane undergoes construction,” the ministry said.
Authorities also announced the temporary closure of connecting junctions, including Mineral Road, Timber Road and Industrial Road, as construction activities intensify.
To ease congestion, northbound traffic has been diverted through alternative routes, including Robert Mugabe Road via Ring Road and Leopold Takawira Street through Hellet Street and Mucheke Road.
The temporary closure is expected to affect daily commuting patterns and commercial activities, particularly for transport operators, informal traders and businesses operating along the affected corridor.
Yet urban development observers say such disruptions are often an inevitable feature of large-scale infrastructure projects whose benefits are measured over decades rather than weeks.
The Masvingo Bypass Project forms part of the broader rehabilitation of the Harare-Beitbridge Highway, one of Southern Africa’s busiest trade routes.
Once completed, the bypass is expected to ease congestion within the city, improve travel efficiency, and facilitate the smoother movement of goods between Zimbabwe and neighbouring countries.
The ministry urged motorists to cooperate with traffic management authorities and adhere to safety regulations during the construction period.
“Please allow extra travel time, obey all temporary traffic signs and traffic management personnel, and exercise caution when travelling through the construction zone,” the ministry said.
As construction activity shifts from the completed Mucheke Bridge to the next phase of the bypass project, the closure of Bradburn Street offers a visible reminder that Masvingo’s transport landscape is undergoing one of its most significant transformations in recent years.
