HARARE — A total of 550.1 kilometres of the 580-kilometre Harare–Masvingo–Beitbridge Highway has now been rehabilitated and opened to traffic, leaving only 31....
HARARE — A total of 550.1 kilometres of the 580-kilometre Harare–Masvingo–Beitbridge Highway has now been rehabilitated and opened to traffic, leaving only 31.9 kilometres to be completed before the project is expected to finish this year.
The Harare–Beitbridge Highway rehabilitation project is one of the flagship infrastructure projects undertaken by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration. The project is being implemented alongside the modernisation of Beitbridge Border Post to improve the movement of people and goods while reducing delays at the country’s busiest border crossing.
Beitbridge Border Post has already been commissioned by President Mnangagwa. Border users have commended the improved clearance systems, particularly during the festive period, when travellers reported faster processing and easier movement through the border.
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The rehabilitation of the highway is being carried out by five local contractors: Tensor Systems, Masimba Holdings, Fossil Contracting, Exodus & Company and Bitumen World.
The project includes the dualisation, upgrading and tolling of the highway. The wider North-South Corridor has been divided into three sections comprising the 580-kilometre Harare–Beitbridge Highway with eight toll plazas, the 342-kilometre Harare–Chirundu Highway with six toll plazas and the 59-kilometre Harare Ring Road with three toll plazas. Revenue collected from the toll plazas is used to fund the rehabilitation and maintenance of the roads.
In a statement, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development confirmed that further progress had been made on the project.
“Harare Masvingo Beitbridge Road rehabilitation and upgrading project progress as of July 14, 2026, a 3km stretch was completed and opened to traffic, bringing the total to 550,1 km completed and opened to traffic. Only 31.9km remaining to complete the project,” the ministry said.
The latest update shows that Bitumen World has completed 130.3 kilometres of its assigned section, while Fossil Contracting has completed 122.6 kilometres. Masimba Holdings has finished 102 kilometres, Exodus & Company has completed 98 kilometres and Tensor Systems has completed 90 kilometres. The trial section stands at 7.2 kilometres.
Work is also continuing on other infrastructure developments linked to the highway project in Masvingo. Construction of Chimusana Bridge, the Masvingo Trumpet Interchange and an urban bypass is underway near the recently commissioned Mucheke River Bridge.
The Masvingo urban bypass is being built near Mucheke River Bridge and Masvingo Polytechnic College. It is designed as a grade-separated route that will allow traffic travelling to Beitbridge to bypass Masvingo’s central business district.
Construction of the Masvingo Trumpet Interchange is also progressing as part of the final stages of the Harare–Beitbridge Highway upgrade. The interchange forms part of the broader North-South Corridor improvement programme.
The interchange is expected to reduce congestion at busy intersections in Masvingo, improve traffic flow, minimise accidents and enhance travel efficiency for motorists using the highway. The project is being undertaken by Masimba Holdings and Fossil Contracting as part of the ongoing infrastructure modernisation programme.
Once the remaining 31.9 kilometres are completed, the rehabilitation of the Harare–Masvingo–Beitbridge Highway will mark another milestone in Zimbabwe’s road infrastructure development, with the upgraded route expected to improve connectivity along one of the country’s busiest transport corridors.
