SOME OF THE MAJOR BRIDGES CONSTRUCTED BY THE UPND GOVERNMENT SINCE AUGUST 2021
By Shalala Oliver Sepiso
1. LUANGINGA BRIDGE IN KALABO: Located in the Western Province, this bridge was built to eliminate the seasonal isolation of riverbank communities of Kalabo District. The area has also seen its first bituminous standard road since Independence.
2. KAFUBU BRIDGE IN NDOLA AND MULUNGUSHI BRIDGE IN KABWE: The Lusaka-Ndola Dual Carriageway, which is under heavy active construction via a long-term PPP concession agreement and is towards completion, features the Kafubu Bridge in Ndola. The Kafubu Bridge is a massive new concrete bridge structure measuring 66 meters long and 19.82 meters wide. This bridge replaces the old crossing point.
Structural piling works have concluded, and the superstructure is being pushed to completion by the concessionaire, MOIC-LN Limited. Further to the Kafubu, the engineering design for the entire 327-kilometer dualization requires widening and structurally reinforcing every single existing bridge crossing along the route, from Ndola to Lusaka, to split traffic seamlessly into independent northbound and southbound twin lanes. This includes building a new major bridge across the Mulungushi River bear Kabwe.
3. THE BWEENGWA BRIDGE: The Bweengwa is a supplementary addition and critical structural upgrade forming part of a larger critical link on the K937.4 million, 71-km Monze–Niko road connecting Namwala and Monze. The existing Bweengwa Drift, which relied on small drainage pipes, was prone to severe seasonal flooding and frequent poor water flow after culverts were blocked thus leading to the road being cut off the road.
China Geo Engineering Corporation was tasked with upgrading it to a modern 52-meter, three-span composite bridge. The main road works commenced in November 2023. The new bridge was officially integrated as additional scope to the main contract and is scheduled for completion. The emergency interventions, and structural reinforcement works are now fully complete, restoring safe year-round vehicular transit across the plains. The bridge is complete and fully operational.
4. KAFUE HOOK BRIDGE: Rehabilitated and significantly improved to enhance linkages on the main Mongu-Lusaka road within the Kafue National Park.
5. KAKASO BRIDGE: The Kakaso Bridge, located around kilometer 15 on the Chingola–Chililabombwe T3 highway, suffered a major washout due to flash stormwater damage. Because this is the sole economic artery connecting Chililabombwe and the Kasumbalesa border post to the rest of Zambia, the RDA, in partnership with the private concessionaire under the Chingola-Kasumbalesa Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project, deployed immediate emergency engineering teams to rebuild the crossing point. ZNS opened a temporary detour while AVIC International rebuilt the main bridge which is now open to use since May 2026.
6. MBESUMA BRIDGE: The reconstruction and completion of the Mbesuma Bridge stands out as one of the largest standalone bridge engineering projects managed under the current administration. Crossing the Chambeshi River, this long-awaited project serves as the vital economic artery linking the Muchinga and Eastern Provinces. It replaces old, dangerous ferry systems and provides a heavy-duty, permanent engineering solution to facilitate cross-border and inter-province trade. Construction on this bridge originally began in 2017 under the previous Patriotic Front (PF) administration.
The original contractor was China Railway Seventh Group Engineering Company. The project stalled around November 2020 due to government becoming broke and defaulting on loans. It remained remained abandoned for nearly four years. President Hakainde Hichilema officially re-approved funding and greenlit the continuation of the stalled works in December 2024. The Road Development Agency (RDA) subsequently issued new construction tenders. The contract has an expected active delivery timeline stretching through late 2026, with full structural completion and cleanup currently projected for the last quarter of 2027.
7. BATOKA TO MAAMBA ROAD BRIDGES: The scope of works for K1.1 billion fast-track rehabilitation of the 88-kilometer Batoka–Maamba Road (D775) includes the construction of three (3) permanent concrete bridges, on the road which will now be bituminous, for the first time since Independence. The project features over 120 subcontractors building new culverts, pavement layers, and permanent bridge structures to support heavy coal-haulage trucks moving from Maamba Collieries and large trucks taking abnormal loads of equipment to the various coal power plants in maamba and other parts of Sinazongwe District. A major bridge on this road is the Sikalamba Bridge, which is a 20-meter concrete bridge located near the Sinazeze Township. It is the most critical bridge structure along the corridor and has been structured to handle heavy, out-of-gauge trucks hauling equipment for the Maamba Energy power plant expansion and the 600MW Ever Great Coal Power Plant sponsored by Wonderful Group and ZCCM-IH.
There are two more 20-meter concrete bridges on the route, which have been engineered to the same heavy-load specifications as the Sikalamba Bridge. In addition to the three standard bridges, the project features extensive heavy drainage crossings to replace old, flood-prone structures. For example, the Chikumbwe Stream Crossing is a massive, newly constructed six-cell, 6m by 4m in-situ box culvert designed specifically to accommodate sudden, large volumes of water during rainy season flash floods. These structures are engineered with climate-resilient features to withstand flash floods in the mountainous terrain. The active bridge installations and works on the road are at 46% project completion.
8. THE NATIONAL ACROW BRIDGE PROGRAM: Rather than focusing resources on a single mega-bridge in urban centers, the UPND government’s most logistically impressive feat is the 131 ACROW Bridges National Program managed through the Road Development Agency (RDA) and the Zambia National Service (ZNS). Instead of traditional concrete pouring which takes years, this program utilizes advanced, pre-engineered steel modular panel designs ranging from 12 meters to over 100 meters in length. This allows the government to quickly “drop” heavy-duty, climate-resilient bridges into cut-off rural areas.
The most notable completions under this rapid deployment initiative include: (a) THE MBOSHA ACROW BRIDGE: The Mbosha Acrow Bridge (Luano District) is a massive 122-meter steel panel structure assembled to securely link the Shikabeta and Mbosha Chiefdoms over a historically volatile crossing point. (b) MAMBULWE BRIDGE IN NANGOMA, MUMBWA: This was constructed and commissioned in the Myooye Ward of Nangoma Constituency (Mumbwa District) to improve local economic connectivity. (c) MUCHABI BRIDGE IN NANGOMA: Commissioned through ZNS to instantly reconnect major agricultural communities to central markets. (d) THE LWITIKILA BRIDGE IN KANCHIBIYA: Constructed via “Force Account” direct labor to cut down regional transit times. (e) KASHIJI RIVER BRIDGE: This is a series of six ACROW bridges constructed along the Zambezi-Chinyama-Litapi Road in the North-Western Province. (f) KASOMBO AND MALOLWA BRIDGES: These are two ACROW bridges installed on the 119-kilometer stretch connecting Kabompo CBD to the Kasombo area in North-Western Province.
Other notable bridges include:
1. MPAMBA BRIDGE: The critical Mphamba Bridge in the Lundazi district was recently washed out by heavy, prolonged seasonal rainfall across Chasefu, Lumezi, and Lundazi. The RDA quickly executed structural interventions to successfully stabilize and reopen the bridge to local traffic.
2. WATER CROSSING POINTS ON HH ROAD IN CHADIZA: The historic upgrade of the Chipata–Chadiza road, aka HH Road, to bituminous standard involves extensive drainage engineering. Instead of major high-span river crossings, contractors are focusing heavily on installing a network of modern, reinforced concrete box culverts to eliminate the district’s older, flood-prone drift crossings.
3. MAYUKWAYUKWA BRIDGES: The Mayukwayukwa Bridges are two bridges, including a 120-meter footbridge crossing the Lwampa River, built as part of the Basic Infrastructure (DBI) Project in Kaoma District.
Clear photographs would have been better. Words are not enough. Batoka-Maamba Road is not being tarred for the first time since independence. Stick to facts. I have driven on it before. No road is for ever and ever.
