K5bn road works underway on Livingstone–Sesheke and Chipata–Lundazi routes

Government has commenced major road rehabilitation projects in Southern and Eastern provinces, with the Road Development Agency awarding contracts worth approximately K5 billion aimed at improving transport infrastructure, boosting trade and enhancing connectivity across the…

Government has commenced major road rehabilitation projects in Southern and Eastern provinces, with the Road Development Agency awarding contracts worth approximately K5 billion aimed at improving transport infrastructure, boosting trade and enhancing connectivity across the two regions. The projects cover the 212-kilometre Livingstone–Sesheke Road in the south and the remaining 48-kilometre stretch of the Chipata–Lundazi Road in the east.

RDA chief communications and corporate affairs manager Anthony Mulowa said the Livingstone–Sesheke project had been awarded to Sino-Hydro Corporation Limited in partnership with Nchifar Enterprises Limited, in a contract valued at K4.88 billion when combined with the Chipata–Lundazi works. The Livingstone–Sesheke scope includes not only tarring the main highway but also rehabilitating and upgrading 10 kilometres of township roads in Livingstone and a further five kilometres in Sesheke.

Mulowa said the project had been divided into two lots to facilitate efficient implementation, with Lot One, valued at K1.54 billion, covering sections between the T1 Junction and the Kazungula turn-off, and from near the Simungoma turn-off to Sesheke Boma. Lot Two, costing K1.74 billion, has also been awarded to the same contractor and covers the remaining stretch of the route. Both contracts are expected to be completed within 30 months of commencement.

The RDA has already issued commencement orders and site possession certificates for the project, with the contractor undertaking design works and mobilising equipment ahead of full-scale construction. Mulowa said emergency repairs were already being carried out on damaged sections of the road where heavy trucks frequently become stuck, aimed at easing challenges faced by motorists and heavy-duty truck operators while the main works get under way.

In Eastern Province, China Geo-Engineering Corporation has been awarded a K1.60 billion contract for the remaining 48 kilometres of the Chipata–Lundazi Road. Mulowa said the project covered the section from Chipata town, beginning at kilometre 90, continuing from Lundazi to Chasefu junction, and extending from the Simungoma turn-off through to Sesheke Boma in a parallel scope of works aimed at improving periodic maintenance of the road.

The Eastern Province works also include upgrading of township roads in Lundazi, alongside improvements to road standards designed to bring the route in line with national infrastructure benchmarks. Mulowa said the contract, valued at K1.60 billion, was expected to be completed within 30 months of commencement, mirroring the timeline set for the Southern Province works.

Government said the projects demonstrated its ongoing commitment to improving road infrastructure nationally, facilitating trade and supporting economic development in both provinces. Officials noted that both the Livingstone–Sesheke corridor and the Chipata–Lundazi route serve as key transit links, connecting Zambia to regional trade partners and supporting the movement of goods between provinces and across borders.

With commencement orders issued and contractors already mobilising equipment on site, the next phase of the projects will focus on progressing design works toward full-scale construction, with officials expressing confidence that the 30-month completion timelines set for both routes would be met barring unforeseen delays.