A 237-kilometer road contracted by China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) recently opened to traffic in Kalomo in southern Zambia.

Zambian President Edgar Lungu, government officials of the Southern and Central provinces, as well as representatives from CSCEC attended the road-opening ceremony.

The president said the completion of the rehabilitation project of the road has changed many people’s lives, and he expressed thanks to CSCEC workers for their contribution.

The rehabilitation project commenced in August 2017. The road, 237.2 kilometers long and 5.5 meters wide, is now a climate-resilient gravel road, and has 360 culverts and other structures. Its construction work lasted two years, and the contract includes three years of road maintenance.

The road linking Southern and Central provinces of Zambia is the first road crossing the Kafue River Basin and the Kafue National Park.

During the day, the president took a drive on the road and personally planted trees to mark the commissioning of the road.

The completion of the project would ease challenges of transportation for the residents in the area and promote local economic development.

The road is expected to boost the local tourism industry as well. For instance, the tax revenue from the Kafue National Park is expected to increase 120-150% thanks to improved accessibility.

More than 280 workers from China, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana participated in the project that will help to improve the lives of two million people in this area.