KASOMENO MWENDA ROAD GOVERNMENT TOP PRIORITY
Hon. Eng. Milupi said this when he inspected early works on the project at Chalwe in Mwense District of Luapula Province.
Groupe Europeen de Development (GED) Projects has signed a Concession Agreement with the Zambian Government to finance, design, build, operate, maintain and Toll the Kasomeno-Mwenda road including a One Stop Border Post (OSBP) and bridge across the Luapula river.
GED has also signed a Concession Agreement to undertake similar works on the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) side.
The project scope includes: Construction of 92 kilometres road on the Zambian side and 94 kilometres of the DRC side; Construction of a 345 metres cable stayed bridge across the Luapula river; Construction of a OSBP with associated parking and warehousing facilities; and Construction of Toll Plazas and Weighbridges.
Hon. Eng. Milupi said the Government wanted to grow the economy and this could only be achieved when connectivity was enhanced within the country and with neighbouring countries.
” The Government wants to grow the economy. Currently, we are below US$20 billion GDP. We need to establish means for trading with our neighbours.
” There is a huge market in the DRC and we need to enhance connectivity, he said.
Road Development Agency (RDA) Luapula Province Regional Manager, Eng. Bernard Zulu said a 1.6 kilometre access road at Chalwe had been worked on under early works while 8 kilometres of embankment works had been done at Kashiba on the Zambian side.
Meanwhile, GED Zambia Representative, Eng. Kanyuka Mumba said the contractor was on site doing clearing and grubbing works as well as setting up for permanent works on the main road.
The construction of the Kasomeno-Mwenda Toll road and bridge will connect Zambia to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The road link will cut the traveling distance between the Port of Dar es Salaam and Lubumbashi by approximately to 500 kilometres.