NAMPUNDWE AND BLUE LAGOON ROAD BEING UPGRADED TO BITUMINOUS ROAD FOR 1 BILLION KWACHA
By Shalala Oliver Sepiso
The groundbreaking ceremony for the construction to bituminous standard of the 96KM Blue Lagoon Road from Farmers Junction (on the Lusaka-Mumbwa Road) to Muchabi Primary and Secondary School into the National Park will be held tomorrow. Minister of Infrastructure and Urban development, Hon. Charles Milupi, will officiate at this event, which I will personally attend as a proud Mumbwa-Mumbwa and proud praise-singer as we people of Shakumbila say “Kwenyu!” ✅
Government has allocated K1.1 billion for upgrading the Farmers Junction to Blue Lagoon gravel road to bituminous standard in Shibuyunji and Mumbwa districts in Central Province. The tender for the Construction of upgrading to Bitumious standard of approximately 98 km of the Blue Lagoon Road, D534 from farmers turnoff on Mumbwa M9 Road to Muchabi Secondary and Muchabi Primary schools – 7km into the Blue Lagoon National Park in Central Province of Zambia was issued by the Road Development Agency recently. It was awarded to China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) and KAAZ Concrete Solutions Ltd.
Before that, in June 2022, Minister of Infrastructure and Urban development (Charles Milupi), Member of Parliament for Nangoma (Collins Njovu), Member of Parliament for Mumbwa (Credo Nanjuwa) and Member of Parliament for Mwembeshi (Machila Jamba) led a team from the Road Development Agency (RDA) and National Construction Council (NCC) to inspect the road from Nampundwe turn off (Farmers) through Keezwa ward to blue lagoon national park ahead of the construction works.
Later, in 2023, the Road Development Agency worked on four roads located in Shibuyunji and Mumbwa Districts with the estimated total distance for all the roads being 155 kilometres. The four roads were: (1) Nampundwe-Keezwa-Muchabi Road (D534) – 78.5 kilometres; (2) Situmbeko-Chimbotela Road (D536) – 22 kilometres; (3) Kasalu-Keezwa Road (RD 490) – 38.5 kilometres; and (4.
Situmbeko-D534 (RD554) – 16 kilometres. The scope of works included, but was not limited to: Removal of unsuitable material; Filling earthworks; Road Formation; Spot gravelling; and Installation of concrete culverts of various sizes.
And now, the place will see its first tarred road since the earth was created.
The famous Blue Lagoon National Park is domiciled partly in Shibuyunji and also Mumbwa Districts and is located South of Nampundwe-Keezwa-Muchabi Road (Blue Lagoon Road). The distance is approximately 120 kilometres from Lusaka Central Business District (CBD).
This road links Lusaka to the Kafue flats, Blue Lagoon National Park, Kafue National Park and Mumbwa town. The Nampundwe Road, which spans three constituencies and two districts, is very important economically as it will link producers (farmers, mines and sugar plantations) to the market and help the sick access hospitals on time with workers easily moving to their places of toil on time.
Major economic activities to be serviced by this road include Kafue Sugar, Nampundwe Mine owned by KCM and Nsanje Mine. Tourists from Lusaka can now easily drive into Blue Lagoon National Park and watch the famous Nanja (Lechwe) and drive back to Lusaka the same day.
Fish traders can also drive to Muchabi, Shachele and other fishing communities on the Kafue flats and buy fish and ferry the produce to the Copperbelt and Lusaka the same day. This economic road will also benefit our hardworking farmers in Keezwa, Nalubanda, Lukunka, Choombwa, Shamboze Village, Nambala, Lutale, Makuyu Abombe and other farming communities to easily transport their goods to markets in Lusaka and other areas.
This is the news we want to celebrate as Zambia. New development. Could you also look at Ngabwe Road in Central Province.
You’re dealing with the New Dawn. It knows exactly where its bread is buttered. The Blue-Lagoon-Nampundwe Road is one that should have been done years and years ago. It hosts a national park and a mine that has been producing since 1967 or 68. Proximity to Lusaka means that weekend tourism would easily take off. No doubt this was one of the considerations as the RDA was making the decision. As for the Kabwe-Ngabwe Road, just watch this space, Doug. The New Dawn knows exactly what to do. It knows the great potential there from mining, agriculture, tourism and what-have-you. You ain’t seen nothing yet. I hv spoken as someone who has driven on both roads on a number of occasions.