The US$259.3 million Kazungula Bridge project, which includes international border facilities in Botswana and Zambia, began construction on 12 October 2014 by the South Korean construction company Daewoo E&C and finished on 10 May 2021. Due to transportation problems brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the opening was delayed.
The African Development Bank and the Japan International Cooperation Agency jointly funded the construction. Only a ferry could carry direct traffic between the two nations prior to the bridge’s opening to traffic in May 2021.
The bridge is twisted to bypass the close-by borders of Zimbabwe and Namibia and takes advantage of the 135-meter-long boundary the two nations share at the river.
Project Timeline
Reported in April 2013
US$260 million Kazungula Bridge to be constructed on the Zambezi River
Botswana and Zambia have invited bids for the construction of the Kazungula Bridge on the Zambezi River at an estimated cost of US$260 million. The project would be financed partly through a loan of $80 million signed on February 10, this year between Zambia and the African Development Bank.
The Botswana government would meet part of the cost while another partner, Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA), is expected to come on board. The Kazungula Bridge Project is expected to be completed in six years. Consultancy services would include design review, production of bidding documentation, supervision of works, and post-construction services.
The bridge is expected to significantly improve the trade infrastructure of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African continent as a whole. One-stop border facilities will be erected in both countries with a 930-meter-long and 18.5-meter-wide road-rail bridge.
The facility would provide vital transport infrastructure on that corridor as it would facilitate easy access to intra-regional trade and international markets through connectivity with major sea ports.
Reported in July 2014
Zambia to Construct a Multi-billion Dollar Bridge in Kazungula
40 houses are ready for distribution to Lumbo villagers in Kazungula after plans to construct a permanent bridge at the Botswana border started. According to the District Commissioner of Kazungula Pascalina Musokotwane, the 40 houses and a school would be handed over to the villagers next month.
Civil works on the bridge comprise of construction of a 923 by 18.5 meters rail bridge, two boarders stop facilities, access roads, and ramps across the Zambezi River. The multibillion-dollar project will help boost trade and other economic activities in Southern Africa.
In March, three companies were shortlisted for the construction bid of the permanent bridge at the Kazungula border. The three companies, which were part of twenty-six other entries, were China Major Bridge Engineering Corporation, Daewoo E and R, and Shimizu-Stefanuti Joint Venture.
The groundbreaking ceremony of the bridge in Kazungula will take place in August and will serve as a link between the country and Botswana. Main financers of the project will be the Governments of Zambia and Botswana, African Development Bank (AFDB), and Japan International Cooperation Agency.
Reported in May 2014
US$259m Kazungula Bridge to connect Zambia and Botswana
A US$259m Kazungula bridge is set to be constructed on a joint arrangement by Zambia and Botswana. According to Bernard Chiwala who is the Chief Executive of Zambia’s Road Development Agency, the bridge will help replace the ferry services that take place between the two countries.
Chiwala also added that the contract for the whole construction process would be given to Botswana. The Kazungula Bridge project will be jointly financed by the government of Japan through Japan International Development Cooperation (JICA) and the African Development Bank (ADB) at a total cost of US$124.22m and it is expected to be completed in four years.
Under the agreement, JICA would provide US$41.77 million, ADB US$78.41 while the Government of Zambia would contribute US$1.57 million. According to a joint press statement issued by Zambia’s Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communications Yamfwa Mukanga and Botswana’s Minister of Transport and Communications Nonofo Mohlefi in Livingstone, the project is set to begin in July.
The two ministers noted that a lot of progress has been made in the procurement process for the contracts adding that out of the 26 companies that expressed interest to participate in the project, three have been shortlisted to bid for the project. The evaluation of the technical proposals was completed last December.
The civil works for the proposed Kazungula Bridge and the railway line will comprise the construction of 23 meters long by 18.5 meters wide rail/road bridge. It will also include two one-stop border facilities, access roads, and ramps across the Zambezi River. The multimillion-dollar bridge project would help boost trade between the two countries.
Sep 2014
Zambia’s US$259.3m Kazungula Bridge project kicks off
Construction of large Zambia’s Kazungula bridge started after the ground-breaking ceremony was held on the Botswana side of the Kazungula border on the 12th of this month.
The ground-breaking ceremony was led by Vice–President Guy Scott and his Botswana counterpart, Ponatshego Kedikilwe. The former urged the contractor and supervising engineer to wrap up working on a US$259.3 Kazungula Bridge project within the set time frame. The multimillion-dollar bridge is expected to be completed by 2018. The contractor of the project is Daewoo Engineering and Construction.
Construction of the Kazungula Bridge has been in process for more than 10 years with not much improvement but now is a great relieve to those who will be using it, and the country as a whole.
The ongoing project will be undertaken by Zambia and Botswana governments, with financial assistance from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the African Development Bank (AfDB).
In addition to creating job opportunities, the Kazungula Bridge project is expected to facilitate the faster movement of products within the region. It will reduce the transit time from 36 hours to two hours. It will also help bring down transportation costs and the cost of doing business in general and, ultimately, increase revenue for the two countries.
Dr. Scott also said the Kazungula route had become increasingly popular with transporters shipping freight
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) resident representative, Atsushi Nakagawa, thanked the two governments for undertaking the project. The project would help connect Zambia and Botswana.
2015
Botswana and Zambia invite bids for the construction of the Kazungula Bridge on the Zambezi River at an estimated cost of US $260m to replace the existing ferry. The project would be financed partly through a loan of US $80m signed on February 10, 2015, between Zambia and the African Development Bank.
The Botswana government would meet part of the cost while another partner, Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA), is expected to come on board. The Kazungula Bridge Project is expected to be completed in six years. Consultancy services would include design review, production of bidding documentation, supervision of works, and post-construction services.
In November, Daewoo Engineering and Construction was selected to be the contractor of the project, and construction of the bridge started after the ground-breaking ceremony was held on the Botswana side of the Kazungula border. The ground-breaking ceremony was led by Vice President Guy Scott and his Botswana counterpart, Ponatshego Kedikilwe.
Reported in March 2018
Kazungula Bridge project in Southern Africa to be commissioned soon
The Kazungula Bridge project in Southern Africa is set to be opened to the public soon. The initial objective of the Bridge which is constructed between the corridors of Zambia and Botswana is to improve the infrastructure at Kazungula such that transit time between borders is reduced.
On commissioning, the project will facilitate increased trade activity as well as improve the integration of the Zambia and Botswana economies, including their global competitiveness.
Three regional presidents; Zimbabwe’s Emmerson Mnangagwa, Seretse Khama of Botswana, and Edgar Lungu of Zambia, have inspected the progress on the multi-million-dollar Kazungula Bridge in Kasane, which upon completion will enhance intra-regional trade within the SADC region and beyond.
Inspection
During the inspection, Botswana and Zambia agreed to allow Zimbabwe to be part of the Kazungula Bridge project through the Zambezi River, in phase II of the project.
The development was revealed during a press briefing by Botswana Transport and Communication Minister Kitso Mokaila, Zimbabwean Transport and Infrastructure Development Minister Joram Gumbo, and Zambian Housing and Infrastructure Development Minister Ronald Chitotela.
Project agreement
The three countries further agreed to put up a one-stop border post at Kazungula in Zambia’s Southern province. The decision was made after President Edgar Lungu held talks with Botswana’s President, Lieutenant-General Seretse Khama, and Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
The Kazungula Bridge project is a multi-national project in the North-South Corridor and is part of an infrastructure improvement program that covers the whole corridor. The project includes a bridge linking Botswana and Zambia over the Zambezi River to replace the existing ferry, and a one-stop border facility at Kazungula.
Reported in March 2019
Construction of Kazungula Bridge in Zambia halts
Construction works of Kazungula Bridge in Zambia have stopped after Daewoo Engineering and Construction-in charge of the development shut down the site due to nonpayment by the Zambian government.
Daewoo Engineering explained that the issue has led to an industrial strike by the employees. Botswana has since made payment for the project but Zambia was still lagging behind. A total of US $14.84m is owed from the employers.
Administration Manager at Kazungula Bridge Project, Hong Seouk Park said this the financial constraints have made it increasingly difficult to maintain the company’s running costs.
Reported in May 2019
Monumental Kazungula Bridge in Zambia nears completion
The government of Zambia has expressed satisfaction with the progress made on the Kazungula Bridge project announcing that the development nears completion.
President Edgar Lungu of Zambia who acknowledged the progress said that the bridge is 78% complete and is optimistic that the project will be completed on schedule.
Reported in November 2019
Completion of the Kazungula Bridge project in Botswana delays
The US $174m Kazungula bridge project, initially scheduled for completion some two months ago, is now expected to be completed in June next year, 10 months behind schedule.
92% complete
Project consultant Mr. Kobamelo Kgoboko said construction works of the 923m long bridge, now at 91.92%, should have been completed in August this year but had been delayed due to a number of factors. Once complete, he said, the bridge would improve border management operations, and reduce time-based trade and transport costs as well as transit time for freight and passengers.
Mr. Kgoboko said the bridge would boost the regional economy by increasing the global competitiveness of goods from Zambia and Botswana and traffic throughout the north-south corridor.
Currently, trucks in transit between Botswana and Zambia have to wait a minimum of three days before crossing between the two countries but once the bridge is operational, the process is expected to take less than half a day.
Project components
Mr. Kgoboko said the project had three components, the first being the bridge, the second and the third being one-stop border posts in Botswana and Zambia respectively. He said the Botswana post was currently 98.7% complete while the Zambian project was 80.5%; expected to be completed in February next year. He explained that the bridge had eight pylons, six of which had been completed.
According to a study done in 2008, an average of 207 vehicles are ferried by pontoon on a daily basis but with the completion of the bridge, the daily average is expected to almost double. In addition to the bridge project, earlier this year Botswana and Zambian railway corporations re-committed to putting up a railway line between Mosetse and Livingstone. It is anticipated that the 430km project will further reduce goods and passenger transit time as well as transport costs.
2020
Reported in March 2020
Construction of Kazungula bridge in Southern Africa nears completion
Construction of the Kazungula bridge which will connect Zambia and Botswana and ultimately link the port of Durban in South Africa to the Democratic Republic of the Congo nears completion. Project consultant Mr. Kobamelo Kgoboko said construction works of the 923m long bridge, are now at 92%, and by end of 2020 it is expected to be open to the public.
The Kazungula Bridge is being constructed at the Kazungula crossing, where Botswana and Zambia share a border measuring about 750m over the Zambezi River. It is also at the confluence of the Zambezi and Chobe rivers, and the meeting point of the four southern African countries – Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The project entails the construction of a 923-meter-long rail/road extra-dosed cable-stayed bridge with approach roads as well as the construction of one-stop border posts on the Zambia and Botswana sides.
The bridge is expected to reduce transit time for freight and passengers, boost the regional economy and even increase the global competitiveness of goods from Botswana and Zambia due to reduced time-based trade and transport costs.
Reported in October 2020
Construction of Kazungula Bridge in Southern Africa complete
Construction of the US $260m Kazungula bridge in Southern Africa is complete. According to the Ministry of Transport and Communications, package one of the project, comprising the bridge proper and approach ramps, is complete; package two, being a Botswana one-stop border post, currently under construction at a cost of US $38.4m, was at 98.44% with completion expected end of this month; and Package three, the Zambia one-stop border post, ongoing at a contract sum of about US $13.1m, was at 99.40%.
Reported in December 2020
Zambia to pay Kazungula bridge project fee balance by end of year
Zambia’s Minister for Housing and Infrastructure Development Vincent Mwale has revealed that the government has released a total of US $73.7m towards the completion of the Kazungula bridge project with a balance of US $8.7m which will be paid before the end of this year.
The announcement comes after reports started circulating purporting that the Zambian Government had failed to pay its dues and would not honor the outstanding amount owed to the contractor.
According to the minister, an amount of US $82.3m has already been certified on the project of which US $73.7m has already been disbursed and the balance of US $8.7m whose certificates were received by the paying agent, National Road Fund Agency, will be paid before year-end. This is within the 56 days allowed for the settlement of certified Interim Payment Certificates.
“I would like to put it on record that the assertions currently being circulated via social media, purporting that the Zambian Government has failed to pay its dues and will not honor the outstanding amount owed to the Contractor, are not correct.
It is worth mentioning that the payment of the retention amount on the part of the Zambian Government is contractual and shall be met. As such, the Ministry of Finance through the National Road Fund Agency is working towards the settling of the Interim Payment Certificate (IPC) before the end of the year,” he said.
He further added that it should be noted that a balance on the contract in the sum of US $4.7m remains to be certified and issued to the Zambian Government.
Reported in April 2021
Kazungula Bridge in Southern Africa to be commissioned in May
The Kazungula bridge in Southern Africa is set to be commissioned in May this year. The president of Zambia Dr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu has invited his Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) counterpart Mr. Félix Tchilombo Tshisekedi to take part in the commissioning.
According to President Lungu, the invitation is important so that Congo can be inspired by what Zambia and Botswana have done. President Tshisekedi expressed his joy to be invited to open the Kazungula Bridge because DRC is also building a bridge over the Luapula river. The invite was extended during bilateral talks between the two presidents at the African Union Arena in Kinshasa, DRC.
Reported in May 2021
US $260m Kazungula bridge in Southern Africa officially opened
Botswana and Zambia in Southern Africa have officially opened the US $260m Kazungula bridge. Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi and Zambian President Edgar Lungu presided over the ceremony to mark the opening of Kazungula.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Felix Tshisekedi, Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi, and Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa also attended the ceremony.
The 923m road and rail bridge is expected to alleviate congestion at one of Africa’s busiest border crossings in neighboring Zimbabwe. It will offer a faster and cheaper alternative to a route via Beitbridge on Zimbabwe’s border with South Africa.
Kazungula has a one-stop border facility located near the quadripoint that links Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
It is September 4, 2021 and the Kazungula Bridge was supposedly opened on May 11, 2021. To date I haven’t seen a single picture of at least one vehicle crossing the bridge, why? I am not sure if this bridge is open.
I feel sorry for Zimbabwe for not taking part in such a huge project.
When I crossed from Kasane to Kazungula in March 1966, a bridge was needed there at that time. It has taken 54 years to build one. If reports are to be believed, the bridge was completed in December 2020. Why is it not open May 2, 2021?