Kazungula Bridge | |
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![]() Kazungula Bridge under construction over the Zambezi, at the duo-tripoint between Namibia and Zimbabwe, and crossing between Botswana and Zambia | |
Coordinates | 17°47′28″S 25°15′45″E / 17.79111°S 25.26250°E |
Carries | 2 lanes of A33 / M19 (1 each way), pedestrian traffic and railway line |
Crosses | Zambezi |
Locale | |
Official name | Kazungula Bridge |
Maintained by |
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Characteristics | |
Design | Cable-stayed bridge |
Total length | 923 m (3,028 ft) |
Longest span | 129 m (423 ft) |
No. of spans | 4 |
Piers in water | 4 |
No. of lanes | 2 |
Rail characteristics | |
No. of tracks | 1 |
Track gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) |
History | |
Construction start | 5 December 2014 |
Construction end | December 2020 |
Construction cost | $259,300,000[1] |
Inaugurated | 10 May 2021 |
Replaces | Kazungula Ferry |
Location | |
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Kazungula Bridge is a road and rail bridge over the Zambezi River between the countries of Zambia and Botswana at the town of Kazungula. The 923-metre-long (3,028 ft) by 18.5-metre-wide (61 ft) bridge has a longest span of 129 metres (423 ft) and links the town of Kazungula in Zambia with Botswana. The bridge features a single-line railway track between two traffic lanes and walkways for pedestrians.[2]
Before the bridge was opened for traffic in May 2021, direct traffic between the two countries was possible only by ferry. The bridge takes advantage of the short 135-metre (440 ft) border the two countries share at the river,[3] and is curved to avoid the nearby borders of Zimbabwe and Namibia.[4][5]
The bridge has been designed as an extra-dosed road-rail bridge configuration with middle deck sections of 129m, and 4 piers in the river, with a total length of 923m. It follows a curved alignment layout to avoid the border area in the Zambezi waters between Botswana and Zimbabwe, where the exact border positions have not been ratified.