Residents Complain of Gridlock After Trabablas Roundabout as Police Roadblock Snarls Traffic

Harare commuters face severe delays at the Trabablas roundabout after a police roadblock creates congestion on the new overpass (image source)

Harare — Motorists and residents near the Trabablas roundabout have raised renewed concerns after a police roadblock positioned just beyond the interchange toward the city centre created severe congestion during peak hours, undermining the purpose of the recently constructed overpass.

Commuters said the overpass was designed to ease traffic flow by enabling through-traffic to bypass the roundabout, but the location of the checkpoint on the feeder road has caused long queues that spill back onto the interchange and into nearby suburbs. Some motorists reported delays of up to an hour during the morning rush, with public-transport operators and delivery drivers among the worst affected. One frustrated commuter said, “The overpass was supposed to make our commute faster, not turn it into a parking lot. The roadblock is in the wrong place.”

Local traders, taxi operators and service providers say the prolonged delays are affecting business, reducing the number of daily trips and causing late arrivals for workers reliant on commuter transport. Police sources said the checkpoint is part of enhanced enforcement operations aimed at curbing crime and improving road safety along the busy corridor. Officers at the scene said the location allows them to intercept vehicles leaving the city, check for stolen goods, and enforce licensing regulations. A senior traffic officer acknowledged the congestion but defended the operation as necessary, saying, “We are balancing enforcement with traffic flow. Where possible we will adjust deployment to reduce disruption.”

City traffic engineers and Harare City Council officials are engaging police to coordinate a solution. Council representatives said they will request a reassessment of the checkpoint’s timing and placement to reduce interference with peak-hour traffic. Urban-planning experts noted that roadblocks on feeder roads to major interchanges can create systemic bottlenecks, recommending temporary relocation during peak periods and the use of mobile enforcement units that avoid blocking primary flows.

Residents and commuter groups have urged clearer communication and joint planning between police, city engineers and transport associations. Short-term proposals include staggered enforcement hours, designated public-transport lanes and deploying traffic marshals to prevent queues from backing up onto the overpass. Longer-term suggestions include improved signage, real-time traffic alerts and formal guidelines for placing enforcement operations near major interchanges to avoid compromising costly infrastructure upgrades.

Practical advice for commuters:

• Allow additional travel time while authorities review the checkpoint’s placement.

• Use alternative routes to avoid the Trabablas interchange during peak hours.

• Share only verified updates from official council or police channels.

As Harare works to balance crime-prevention efforts with traffic efficiency, residents say safeguarding the gains of major infrastructure projects must be a priority. For now, commuters and businesses near the Trabablas roundabout are calling for swift, coordinated action to restore the intended benefits of smoother, faster movement into the city’s central districts.