Zambia road surfacing upgrade

Work is starting on an upgrade for a 100km stretch of road in Zambia. The route connects Nchelenge and Chiengi districts and will benefit from a new asphalt surface. The project is costing US$77 million and is being carried out by the contractor Sinohydro Zambia. Delays to the work have been caused by heavy rains however. The Zambian Government has paid an initial $3.8 million for the work to be carried out and the project is expected to take two ears to complete. Once the road has been resurfaced it will improve transport links in the north of the country, close to the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. Meanwhile the 70km Chiengi to Kaputa road upgrade is expected to cost $32 million when complete and includes the construction of a 120m long bridge. Although much of the work has now been finished the project has been subject to delays, due in part to the initial contract having been terminated. The project is now being carried out jointly by Copperfield Mining Services and China Henan International Cooperation Group and some aspects of the project still require completion. The work also includes new interchanges, 10km of roads in Kaputa and new lighting and signage.