 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Route information | ||||
| Length | 464 km (288 mi) | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| East end |  T5 in Mutanda | |||
 M18 near Kasempa | ||||
| West end | D293/RD296 in Zambezi | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | Zambia | |||
| Provinces | North-Western | |||
| Major cities | Mutanda, Mufumbwe, Kabompo, Zambezi | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
The M8 road is a road in the North-Western Province of Zambia. [1] [2] [3] It connects Mutanda (south-west of Solwezi) with Zambezi Town via Mufumbwe, Manyinga & Kabompo.
The M8 road begins in Mutanda, Kalumbila District (30 kilometres south-south-west of Solwezi), at a t-junction with the T5 road between Solwezi and Mwinilunga. The route begins by going southwards for 85 kilometres up to the settlement named Kawana in Kasempa District, where it meets the western terminus of the M18 road from Lufwanyama and Kitwe in the Copperbelt Province. [1]
After Kawana, the M8 begins to turn westwards and goes for 15 kilometres to meet a road, designated as the D181, which connects southwards to the town of Kasempa (45 kilometres away). After the Kasempa turn-off, the road continues westwards for 100 kilometres to the town of Mufumbwe in the district of the same name. From Mufumbwe, the road continues west-south-west for 93 kilometres, bypassing the West Lunga National Park, following the Kabompo River and crossing it, to the town of Manyinga in the district of the same name, where it meets a road (D286) going north to Mwinilunga. [1]
The M8 route continues south-west, still following the Kabompo River, for 30 kilometres to the town of Kabompo. From Kabompo, the road continues west-south-west for 67 kilometres to a place called Chilikita, where it meets a road going south to Watopa and Lukulu in the Western Province (via the Kabompo Ferry). From Chilikita, the road continues west-north-west for 72 kilometres to end at a 4-way-intersection with the D293 and RD296 in Zambezi Town. The D293 connects north to the town of Chavuma. [1]
On 1 December 2024, the Government of Zambia (represented by the Minister of Finance, Situmbeko Musokotwane) signed a Public–private partnership (concession) agreement with Barotse Highway Limited (in partnership with First Quantum Minerals [4] ) for the rehabilitation and maintenance of the road from Mutanda to Kasempa and the road from Kasempa to Kaoma (amounting to 371 kilometres). [5] [6] [7] The applicable route includes the M8 road from the T5 junction in Mutanda southwards to the D181 junction in Kasempa District (105 km), the D181 from there southwards to Kasempa (45 km) and the D301 from Kasempa south-west to Kaoma (221 km). [5] [6] [7] The concession agreement is for 25 years and the project is expected to cost $326.4 million. [5] [6] [7]
Plans include upgrading the entire route to bituminous standard in the first two years, constructing three toll gates on the route (one between Kaoma and Kasempa and two between Kasempa and Mutanda), constructing two weighbridges on the route, replacing the Lalafuta and Luena bridges on the section in Kaoma District, constructing social infrastructure on the route and constructing 20 kilometres of urban roads in two districts (10 kilometres in Kasempa District and 10 kilometres in Kaoma District). [5] [6] [7]
Once complete, the road will form part of a shortcut between the Copperbelt region of DR Congo (and Zambia) and the port of Walvis Bay in Namibia, boosting international trade. [5] [6] [7]
This article is about the Transport in Zambia.
Kaonde (kiiKaonde) is a Bantu language spoken primarily in Zambia but also in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Kaonde and its dialects are spoken and understood by perhaps 350,000 people or more.
Solwezi is a town in Zambia. It is the provincial capital of the mineral-rich North-Western Province. Solwezi is also the administrative capital of Solwezi District, one of the eleven districts in the North-Western Province.
Chingola is a town in Zambia's Copperbelt Province, the country's copper-mining region, with a population of 256,560. It is the home of Nchanga Copper Mine, a deep-shaft high-grade content copper mining operation, which subsequently led to the development of two open pit operations, Chingola Open Pit and then Nchanga Open Pit.
Mwinilunga is a town in the North-Western Province of Zambia. It is the headquarters of Mwinilunga District, one of the province's eleven districts.
Kabompo is a town in north-western Zambia, lying on the Kabompo River with a population over 88,000 people. It is surrounded by teak forest and is home to a Roman Catholic mission. Kabompo was founded in the 1900s or even earlier than that, the district centre was first situated in Nkulwashi before it was moved to its current location. The district boasts of its significance towards its contribution to the nation's food security through Food Reserve Agency (FRA). Even in the late 60's and early 70's Kabompo was very active in agricultural activities through NAMBOARD.
Kasempa is a town located in Kasempa District, North-Western Province, Zambia. It is approximately 550 kilometres (340 mi) by road northwest of Lusaka, the capital. Kasempa is located on the western bank of the Lufupa River as it flows south into the Kafue National Park.
North-Western Province is one of ten Provinces of Zambia. It covers an area of 125,826 km2 (48,582 sq mi), has a population of 1,278,357 and a population density of 20 per square kilometre as of 2022. It is the most sparsely populated province in the country. The provincial capital is Solwezi. The literacy rate stood at 63 per cent in 2010 against a national average of 70.2 per cent. The rural population constituted 77.45%, while the urban population was 22.55%. North-Western Province is bordered along Angola in the west, the Democratic Republic of Congo in the north, Copperbelt Province in the east, Central in the south-east, and Western Province in the south-west.
The ten provinces of Zambia are divided into a total of 116 districts as of 2018.
The Lusaka–Mongu Road of Zambia runs 580 km from the capital, Lusaka, to Mongu, capital of the Western Province. It connects that province to the rest of the country, as well as being one of two routes to the south-west extremity of North-Western Province. It also serves as the main highway of the western half of Central Province. The entire route from Lusaka to Mongu is designated as the M9 road.
Mumbwa District is a district of Zambia, located in Central Province. The capital lies at Mumbwa. As of the 2022 Zambian Census, the district had a population of 332,237 people. It consists of two constituencies, being Mumbwa and Nangoma.
Mutanda is a town in Kalumbila District, North-Western Province, Zambia. It is approximately 33 kilometres (21 mi), by road, southwest of Solwezi. Mutanda is situated approximately 500 kilometres (310 mi), by road, northwest of Lusaka, the capital.
'Lumwana is a mining town located in Mwinilunga District, within the North-Western Province of Zambia.
"Zambia : President Lungu commissions the construction of the 1.2 billion U.S dollar Lusaka-Ndola Dual Carriageway". Lusaka Times. 8 September 2017. Retrieved 2021-12-09.
The T3 is a trunk road in Zambia. The road runs from Kapiri Mposhi via Ndola, Kitwe and Chingola to Kasumbalesa on the border with DR Congo. The entire route is a toll road.
The T5 is a trunk road in Zambia. It connects Chingola in the Copperbelt Province with Solwezi and Mwinilunga in the North-Western Province. The route extends to end at the Jimbe border post with Angola. It is the only other road after the M18 road that connects the towns of the North-Western and Copperbelt provinces and is currently the main route motorists use to reach Angola from Zambia. The section of the road from Chingola to Mutanda is a toll road.
The M4 road is a road in the Copperbelt Province of Zambia. The road connects the city of Ndola with the city of Mufulira and extends to connect Mufulira with the city of Kitwe. As it is a v-shaped route, the M4 road starts and ends at a junction with the T3 road.
The M18 road is a road in Zambia that connects Kitwe in the Copperbelt Province with Kawana in the North-Western Province via Kalulushi and Lufwanyama. It is the only other road after the T5 road that connects the towns of the North-Western and Copperbelt provinces. The section from Kitwe to Kalulushi is designated as the M7 road while the route from Kalulushi westwards to Kasempa District is designated as the M18 road on Zambia's road network.
