Another positive step towards construction of Kazungula bridge

Progress is being made towards the construction of the Kazungula Bridge that will link the mineral-rich regions of Zambia and the DRC through Botswana and the port of Durban – although there’s some time to go before it becomes a reality. Following negotiations with the government of Zambia, the African Development Bank is expected to approve the project this month. The loan will be signed in January next year and construction is likely to begin in 2013 after a design review has been undertaken. A ferry is the current means of crossing at the Kazungula Border Post, moving around 30 trucks per day. This is slow and accidentprone contributing to delays and high transport costs. While progress has been slow, the governments of Botswana and Zambia are redoubling their bilateral commitment to see the project through within the shortest time, according to the SADC secretariat. A detailed study has proposed a 923m extra-dosed cable-stayed bridge with 1.9m sidewalk on both sides.