Staff Reporter
The City of Kwekwe is planning to construct a bypass road just before the roundabout along the Harare–Bulawayo highway in an effort to decongest the city’s central business district (CBD), the council’s Director of Works, Engineer John Mhike, has revealed.
Engineer Mhike made the remarks during the city’s 2025 budget review and 2026 budget consultation meeting held with the business community in Kwekwe recently.
“The National Highway is chocking, even Mbizo Road is chocking during peak hours. We intend to do this. We are going to bypass the roundabout, just before the roundabout,” Mhike said. “You see there is a road which is going via those light industries. So that is where we are going to do the first bypass. Then we try to see how we go back to the National Highway via the bypass.”
He said the local authority was also considering the use of alternative routes, including Gokwe Road, to ease congestion and improve traffic flow in and out of the city.
“We also want to use the unpopular, but unfortunately I think that is the way to go — the unpopular Gokwe Road. You turn around and then you come back. So for the main highway, that’s one of the options we are exploring,” Mhike explained.
The planned bypass is part of broader infrastructure improvement efforts being pursued by Kwekwe City Council to enhance mobility, support economic activity, and reduce pressure on the city’s ageing road network.
Business stakeholders who attended the meeting welcomed the proposal, saying improved traffic management would benefit both transporters and traders who rely on efficient movement within the city.
The project is expected to complement other road rehabilitation initiatives being implemented across Kwekwe, which has faced challenges of congestion and deteriorating road conditions in recent years.
