Availability of good quality local construction materials is a major component of road construction as it contributes greatly to the cost of construction.Reserves of good quality construction material may be readily a...Availability of good quality local construction materials is a major component of road construction as it contributes greatly to the cost of construction.Reserves of good quality construction material may be readily available in some parts of Zambia while in some parts like the Western Province,sources of suitable construction materials are scarce.The lack of suitable construction materials in Western Province has affected the construction,rehabilitation and maintenance of roads in this area as materials have to be hauled from distant sources to site.Plans to construct an all-weather road to ease the transport challenges and ensure development for the people of Western Province started as far back as 1966 but were first affected in 2002 when the first attempt to construct an all-weather paved road embankment across the flood plain was made.This paper discusses some of the challenges faced in road construction projects in Zambia’s Western Province,specifically focussing on the Mongu-Kalabo road construction project as a case study.The various challenges faced on this project include financing(high construction cost),challenging terrain(deep Kalahari sands and seasonal flooding)and lack of suitable road construction materials are discussed.The Government of the republic of Zambia has prioritised infrastructure development and has thus embarked on the construction of the 34 km of the Mongu-Kalabo Road Embankment which will include twenty-five bridges across the Barotse Flood Plain at a cost of US$286 million.The potential benefits of constructing the Mongu-Kalabo road to the people of Western Province and the country at large,which include opening up trade with neighbouring Angola,are also discussed.展开更多
文摘Availability of good quality local construction materials is a major component of road construction as it contributes greatly to the cost of construction.Reserves of good quality construction material may be readily available in some parts of Zambia while in some parts like the Western Province,sources of suitable construction materials are scarce.The lack of suitable construction materials in Western Province has affected the construction,rehabilitation and maintenance of roads in this area as materials have to be hauled from distant sources to site.Plans to construct an all-weather road to ease the transport challenges and ensure development for the people of Western Province started as far back as 1966 but were first affected in 2002 when the first attempt to construct an all-weather paved road embankment across the flood plain was made.This paper discusses some of the challenges faced in road construction projects in Zambia’s Western Province,specifically focussing on the Mongu-Kalabo road construction project as a case study.The various challenges faced on this project include financing(high construction cost),challenging terrain(deep Kalahari sands and seasonal flooding)and lack of suitable road construction materials are discussed.The Government of the republic of Zambia has prioritised infrastructure development and has thus embarked on the construction of the 34 km of the Mongu-Kalabo Road Embankment which will include twenty-five bridges across the Barotse Flood Plain at a cost of US$286 million.The potential benefits of constructing the Mongu-Kalabo road to the people of Western Province and the country at large,which include opening up trade with neighbouring Angola,are also discussed.
