The government of Zambia has commissioned the country’s first ever climate resilient road. President Edgar Lungu performed the ceremony and said that the road a positive development as the government continues to transform the face of the country.
“This is a clear reflection of the Patriotic Front (PF) Government’s unwavering commitment to improving the road network across the country and to delivering on the development promises to the people of Southern Province,” said His excellency.
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First climate resilient road
The 247km road from Kalomo through Dundumwezi to Itezhi-Tezhi district was constructed at a cost of US $20.9m. It was constructed using the revised construction guidelines, making it the first-ever climate resilient gravel road in the country.
The new road which links Southern and Central provinces, is a shorter route to the Copperbelt, Lusaka and Western provinces and will also reduce the hardships experienced by people in accessing markets, and engaging in socio-economic activities.
“As a climate resilient road, it is expected to withstand changing climatic conditions. This is the model road which we will replicate in other parts of the country, particularly, in rural areas, due to its cost effectiveness, compared to the traditional methods of road construction,” explained the president.
“The government is addressing the challenge of climate change in infrastructure development, by redefining the guidelines for construction and rehabilitation. The redefined guidelines are taking into account current and projected climatic conditions in terms of temperatures, rainfall and winds. This is to ensure that our infrastructure is built to withstand extreme weather conditions,” President Edgar added.
