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41-524: Road development was slower to start in the west of the country than in other parts. A dirt road was built from the Great North Road at Landless Corner to Mumbwa in the early 1930s (today designated as the M20 and now known as the "Old Mumbwa Road"), but was not extended to Kaoma and Mongu until 1937, about ten years after road transport started in other provinces. This road to Mongu did not have

82-504: A channel into the Kafue. The area between the swamp and river is flood plain and when that and surrounding areas are inundated in the rainy season, the combined wetland exceeds 6,000 km . This is the first of the three main wildlife areas of the river, and the least surveyed and protected. The character of the river changes again, as it forms a less meandering dry-season channel with sandy banks and islands. Continuing south-west it enters

123-465: A depth of less than a metre in the rainy season (deeper in some lagoons and permanently swampy areas), and drying out to a clayey black soil in the dry season. The Kafue Flats are the third major wildlife area of the river. Tens of thousands of Kafue Lechwe live on the Kafue Flats and are adapted to wading the flooded areas. This area also has one of the greatest variety and concentrations of birds in

164-661: A full account. It was opened in 1906 to connect Kafue with Mazabuka and was originally meant to be part of the Cape to Cairo Railway . The first road bridge across the Kafue was originally built across the Thames in London during the Second World War. After the war, it was dismantled and installed some 9 km downstream from the railway bridge. Previously, road traffic crossed the river by pontoon. The T3 road crosses

205-564: A gravel road, a dirt road is not usually graded regularly to produce an enhanced camber to encourage rainwater to drain off the road, and drainage ditches at the sides may be absent. They are unlikely to have embankments through low-lying areas. This leads to greater waterlogging and erosion, and after heavy rain the road may be impassable even to off-road vehicles . For this reason, in some countries, such as Australia and New Zealand and Finland , they are known as dry-weather roads . Dirt roads take on different characteristics according to

246-462: A mature river. The area receives about 1,200 millimetres (47 in) of rain in the rainy season, and the river's channel soon reaches 100 metres (330 ft) wide with a floodplain of fluvial dambos 1 to 2 kilometres (0.62 to 1.24 mi) wide. Before the river reaches the Copperbelt towns, however, it loses its wide floodplain, the channel narrows to 30–40 m and it meanders less, in

287-510: A reservoir 50 km long and up to 10 km wide. Further east, the river flows sluggishly across a flat plain called the Kafue Flats (formerly Butwa after the Twa people ) and for the third time develops intricate meanders in a maze of swampy channels and lagoons. This time however it also has an immense shallow flood plain which no roads or railways cross, 240 kilometres (150 mi) long and about 50 kilometres (31 mi) wide, flooded to

328-541: A shallow valley only 40 m or so lower than the surrounding plateau. It flows close to the Copperbelt towns of Chililabombwe , Chingola and Mufulira , and through the outskirts of Kitwe . The popular picnic spot the Hippo Pool north of Chingola is protected as a national monument . In the Copperbelt, water is taken from the river to irrigate small farms and market gardens . At Kitwe it changes course to

369-568: A single road of 580 kilometers for the remainder of its length. The road heads west from the Lusaka city centre for 150 kilometres, passing through the northern part of Chilanga District (Mwembeshi), entering Central Province at Nakachenje and passing through Shibuyunji District , encountering the Mumbwa Toll Plaza, to bypass Mumbwa to the south. South-west of Mumbwa, the M9 connects to

410-545: A washboard-like surface with ridges. The reason for this is that dirt roads have tiny irregularities; a wheel hitting a bump pushes it forward, making it bigger, while a wheel pushing over a bump pushes dirt into the next bump. However, the surface can remain flat for velocities less than 5 mph (8 km/h). While most gravel roads are all-weather roads and can be used by ordinary cars , dirt roads may only be passable by trucks or four-wheel drive vehicles , especially in wet weather, or on rocky or very sandy sections. It

451-512: Is 70 kilometres. The road is to proceed westwards as the D316 from Kalabo to Sikongo , where the border into Angola is situated. Dirt road A dirt road or track is a type of unpaved road not paved with asphalt, concrete, brick, or stone; made from the native material of the land surface through which it passes, known to highway engineers as subgrade material. Terms similar to dirt road are dry-weather road , earth road , or

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492-457: Is as easy to become bogged in sand as it is in mud; a high clearance under the vehicle may be required for rocky sections. Driving on dirt roads requires great attention to variations in the surface and it is easier to lose control than on a gravel road. Kafue River The 1,576 kilometres (979 mi) long Kafue River is the longest river lying wholly within Zambia. Its water

533-676: Is in poor condition, with motorists having the impression that the road is really not being properly maintained. The newer route from Lusaka (Capital City) is designated as the M9. It begins at the Kabwe Roundabout junction with the T2 ( Great North Road ; Cairo Road ) and the T4 (Great East Road) . It heads westwards as Kalambo Road up to the junction with Lumumba Road. It then becomes Lumumba Road southwards up to its junction with Mumbwa Road, where it becomes Mumbwa Road westwards. It continues as

574-640: Is used for irrigation and for generating hydroelectric power . It is the largest tributary of the Zambezi , and of Zambia 's principal rivers, it is the most central and the most urban . More than 50% of Zambia's population live in the Kafue River Basin and of these around 65% are urban. It has a mean flow rate of 320 cubic metres per second (11,000 cu ft/s) through its lower half, with high seasonal variations. The river discharges 10 cubic kilometres (2.4 cu mi) per year into

615-729: The Kafue National Park , second largest national park in Africa, where it receives its two largest tributaries, the Lunga and Lufupa rivers, also from the north. The Kafue skirts the south-east edge of the Busanga Plain, one of Africa's premier wildlife areas, known for large herds of cape buffalo , zebra and antelope . In the rainy season the Lufupa floods the plain. Like the upper Zambezi, Okavango and Cuando rivers,

656-436: The Kafue National Park , was constructed with laterite gravel. Most of the last third passes through virtually uninhabited bush with no streams or rivers. It is completely dry except after rain in the wet season and is very sandy, which took its toll on trucks and their drivers, as vehicles could get bogged in sand in the dry season, in addition to the usual rainy season hazards of floods and washed-out sections. The fact that

697-790: The Zambezi River . The Kafue River rises at an elevation of 1,350 metres (4,430 ft) on the relatively flat plateau just south the border between Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo 120 kilometres (75 mi) north-west of Chingola in the Copperbelt Province . The source of the Kafue River is in the North-western Province of Zambia. The area is Miombo woodland on

738-505: The soils and geology where they pass, and may be sandy, stony, rocky or have a bare earth surface, which could be extremely muddy and slippery when wet, and baked hard when dry. They are likely to become impassable after rain. They are common in rural areas of many countries, often very narrow and infrequently used, and are also found in metropolitan areas of many developing countries, where they may also be used as major highways and have considerable width. Dirt roads almost always form

779-665: The "Class Four Highway" designation used in China . A track , dirt track , or earth track would normally be similar but less suitable for larger vehicles—the distinction is not well-defined. Laterite and murram roads , depending on material used, may be dirt roads or improved roads. Unpaved roads with a harder surface made by the addition of material such as gravel and aggregate (stones), might be referred to as dirt roads in common usage but are distinguished as improved roads by highway engineers. Improved unpaved roads include gravel roads and macadamized roads . Compared to

820-654: The Barotse Floodplain Causeway for 34 kilometres, crossing the Lubosi Imwiko II Bridge  [ de ] , up until it reaches a junction with the RD319 road at the settlement of Lutwi. The RD319 road, which is coming from Kalongola (south of Senanga ) in the south, is the road which goes northwards to Kalabo from this junction (22 kilometres), with a tollgate on this section (Tapo Toll Plaza). The total distance from Mongu to Kalabo

861-540: The Congo-Zambezi watershed, with many branching dambos lying 10 to 20 metres (33 to 66 ft) lower than the highest ground, producing a very gently undulating topography . The river starts as a trickle from the marshy dambos (the Munyanshi Swamp is a tributary) and with little slope to speed up river flow, it meanders south-eastwards sluggishly and within 50 kilometres (31 mi) has the character of

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902-611: The Kafue used to flow south all the way to Lake Makgadikgadi and on to the Limpopo River , but the land in that area was uplifted . A rift valley formed running due east of where the Kafue National Park is now, and the Kafue river eroded a channel called the Itezhi-Tezhi Gap through a ridge of hills about 100 m high, flowing eastwards. The Itezhi-Tezhi Dam was built in 1977 at the gap and now forms

943-599: The Landless Corner to Mumbwa section was neglected, and by 2005, was a poor dirt road. The older route, from the Landless Corner junction with the T2 road ( Great North Road ) in Chibombo District (70 kilometres north of Lusaka ; 20 kilometres south of Chibombo ) westwards to Mumbwa is designated as the M20 in Zambia's road network. It is 116 kilometres in length up to Mumbwa Central and

984-591: The Lukanga Swamp help silt and pollution settle out so that the river becomes clear downstream. A report in April 2002 said: … natural wetlands are quite effective at controlling water pollution from mining in the Copperbelt … Tests show the Kafue to be clean of mining pollutants downstream from the Copperbelt. In the Kafue flats , the discharge of phosphates in excess fertiliser run-off from commercial farming and

1025-611: The M20 road (the old route from Landless Corner) via the D809. From Mumbwa, the M9 goes west for 130 kilometres as Mongu Road to cross the Kafue River as the Kafue Hook Bridge and enter the central area of the Kafue National Park north of the town of Itezhi-Tezhi . It continues for another 120 kilometres, entering Western Province and passing through Nkeyema District , to reach the town of Kaoma , which it bypasses to

1066-654: The Nakambala Sugar Estate can cause algal blooms and weed growth, reducing fish populations. Effluent from mining containing cadmium, lead and mercury have degraded the Kafue River Municipal water supply had to be suspended when the Kafue River turned blue due to slurry discharge Because of its size and geographic location, the Kafue River basin is an ecosystem that provides services and support to communities and industries that have different and sometimes conflicting interests in usage of

1107-470: The Zambian Cabinet approved a revised National Water policy that "aims to improve water resources management by establishing institutional coordination, engaging in modern methods of integrated water resource management while decentralising government policy to address diverse interests within the water sector". These have had major negative environmental effects on the river — see main article on

1148-530: The floodplain, and consequent funding problems. The long term intention is to then continue the highway into Angola and to connect with its road network as a new trade route for Zambia to Atlantic Ocean ports. This road to Angola is being created so that the road could finally rival the Great East Road and the Great North Road in Zambia's network. The road was constructed by AVIC International (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) and as of 2016,

1189-510: The north) adjacent to Barotse Shopping Mall. An ambitious project, the Barotse Floodplain causeway was started in 2002 to extend the road from Mongu to Kalabo on a 46-kilometre causeway across the Barotse Floodplain , via the ferry across the Zambezi 's main channel at Sandaula, which would then be replaced by a 500-metre bridge. Originally intended to be completed in 2006, it has been delayed by technical problems of building on

1230-678: The project aligns with Zambia's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and with Africa's Agenda 2063. While the M9 from Lusaka ends at the roundabout-junction with the M10 road and the D315 road in Mongu , the road continuing westwards from Mongu is designated as the D819 on the Zambian road network. It goes westwards for 14 kilometres to the settlement named Lealui . From Lealui, the road continues westwards as

1271-408: The residents of those towns, bypassed Mumbwa and Kaoma by a few kilometres. The Nakachenje branch was paved a little later. A lack of maintenance through the late 1970s and 1980s meant that by the 1990s the pavement of the road from Landless Corner was in bad condition and had lost in some sections. The Nakachenje branch was in better condition and became accepted as being the main road to the west while

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1312-538: The river drops 550 metres (1,800 ft) over 60 kilometres (37 mi) through the Kafue Gorge . A second dam, the Kafue Gorge Dam , with a smaller reservoir, generates electricity. The lower Zambezi (originally a separate river) cut back through the rift valleys and eventually captured the Kafue. Their confluence is about 20 kilometres (12 mi) north of Chirundu . See Kafue Railway Bridge for

1353-493: The river in-between Chililabombwe and Chingola as well as in the city of Kitwe , both in the Copperbelt Province . The T2 road ( Cape to Cairo Road ) crosses the river 10 km south of the Kafue town centre. The Lusaka–Mongu Road crosses the river as the Kafue Hook Bridge in the Kafue National Park . As it flows through the Copperbelt the Kafue River is at great risk of pollution , not just from urban waste but from copper mine tailings . The swampy areas west of

1394-764: The river resources. In 1999, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) initiated dialogue between the Zambian Government, the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) and local people to restore a more natural flow pattern to water releases from the Itezhi-Tezhi Dam built on the Kafue River. This project heavily influenced development of Zambian Government policy on water resources and in February 2010,

1435-570: The road over the Barotse Floodplain has been completed, connecting Mongu and Kalabo by road. It consists of 26 bridges crossing the floodplain. On 6 October 2024, it was reported that Zambia had signed a $ 50 million cooperation agreement with the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (ABEDA) for the construction of the road from Kalabo westwards through Sikongo to the border with Angola. The Minister of Finance ( Situmbeko Musokotwane ) stated that trade will improve between Zambia and Angola, as

1476-440: The road started at Landless Corner, 69 km north of Lusaka, suited traffic to and from the Copperbelt . Lusaka did not become the capital of the country until about the time the road was built (1935) and it was not until the late 1940s that it became an important centre. A shortcut to Lusaka from Mumbwa via Nakachenje was built around this time. This road was first paved around 1969, to a new alignment which, controversially for

1517-536: The same recognition and maintenance as the better-known Great North Road and Great East Road , and was also for a time only the third most used route to the west. A route by ox wagon and boat up the Zambezi from Livingstone was the most used in the first decades of the 20th century. A road was made from Mululwe, the end of the Mulobezi Railway , along the banks of the Luampa River and then across

1558-463: The sandy plain to Mongu about the same time that this road was built and, thanks to the railway, was used more, until the 1950s. The first Lusaka-Mongu Road was a dirt road with pontoon ferries across rivers such as the Kafue . It passed through only two towns: Mumbwa and Kaoma. The first 100 km passed through farmland and bush north of the Kafue Flats and like the middle section crossing

1599-655: The south (the D301 provides access to the town centre). From Kaoma, the road goes west for 200 kilometres, through the Mweeke Toll Plaza, to the town of Mongu (capital of the Western Province and Barotseland ), where it ends at a roundabout intersection with the M10 road (which is coming from Senanga and the Namibia Border in the south) and the D315 road (which is coming from Limulunga in

1640-482: The south-west and flows through forest and areas of flat rock over which it floods in the wet season, keeping to a channel about 50 m wide in the dry season. The river again develops intricate meanders and a maze of channels in a swampy floodplain, with oxbow lakes and lagoons. It flows 20 km west of the permanent part of the Lukanga Swamp which fills a circular depression, and which drains through

1681-401: The world. The Lochinvar and Blue Lagoon National Parks have been established on the flats. Around Mazabuka as the river gets closer to the town of Kafue , sugar plantations and other large agricultural estates have been established on the fertile black soil and use water from the river in the dry season. The Kafue Flats end at Kafue town and from there, as the rift valley gets deeper,

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