Zimbabwe has completed the expansion of two major toll plazas and is rolling out dedicated electronic payment lanes nationwide as part of a wider effort to modernise the country’s road infrastructure, reduce congestion and improve traffic flow along some of its busiest highways.
The Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA) on Wednesday received the upgraded Inkomo Toll Plaza from the Road Infrastructure Development Agency (RIDA), while a similar project at Lion’s Den in Mashonaland West Province is expected to be handed over on Thursday.
The projects are among the first completed under a nationwide programme that will introduce dedicated express lanes for electronic toll payments at all 29 tollgates across the country, allowing registered motorists to pass through without stopping to make cash payments.
Inkomo Toll Plaza, one of Zimbabwe’s busiest tolling points serving thousands of vehicles travelling between Harare and the northern parts of the country each day, was expanded from four lanes to six after increasing traffic volumes led to persistent congestion, particularly during holidays and other peak travel periods.
Two of the six lanes have been reserved for motorists using electronic toll payments through RFID-enabled electronic tags, or e-Tags, which are mounted on vehicle windscreens.
The project, funded by ZINARA and completed by RIDA in just over two months, also included upgrades to the drainage system to improve resilience during heavy rainfall, as well as the installation of speed humps to improve lane discipline and road safety.
Authorities say the additional lanes will increase vehicle processing capacity, reduce waiting times, and lower fuel consumption resulting from prolonged queues at the toll plaza.
The electronic tolling system uses Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology that automatically detects vehicles fitted with e-Tags as they approach designated lanes, opening boom gates without requiring drivers to stop for manual payment processing.
According to ZINARA, separating electronic transactions from cash payments is expected to improve traffic flow and reduce delays, particularly during periods of heavy travel.
“The dedicated express lanes are designed for motorists using electronic and prepaid toll payment platforms,” ZINARA said in a statement.
“They separate electronic and contactless transactions from cash and other conventional payment methods, allowing faster processing of vehicles.”
Under the current tolling system, motorists using electronic payments queue alongside those paying with cash, often slowing traffic as manual transactions take longer to complete.
The express lanes are expected to streamline vehicle movement while improving the efficiency of toll collection.
Construction is also underway at Umguza Tollgate on the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Highway in Matabeleland North, where the existing single-lane approaches are being widened to three lanes in each direction.
One lane on each side will be reserved for electronic toll payments, while the remaining lanes will continue serving motorists using conventional payment methods.
The Department of Roads under the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development is overseeing quality assurance for the infrastructure projects, according to ZINARA.
The authority said the expansion programme forms part of Government’s broader strategy to modernise tolling infrastructure and introduce technology-driven service delivery across Zimbabwe’s road network.
“Government has adopted a long-term strategy to progressively modernise tolling infrastructure across the country, with the rollout of express lanes forming a key component of that strategy,” ZINARA said.
“Future implementation will prioritise tollgates that experience comparatively high traffic volumes, particularly those located along major national highways.”
ZINARA said the Inkomo upgrade reflects a broader shift towards investing Road Fund resources in infrastructure projects aimed at improving transport efficiency and supporting economic activity.
The authority said similar capacity enhancement projects are planned for other high-traffic toll plazas across Zimbabwe, with future upgrades informed by traffic studies and expected demand.
