'Lucky Passage' Opens in Zambia

A recent ceremony heralded the opening of a 237-kilometer road in Kalomo in Southern Province, Zambia, which was upgraded and maintained by China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC).

At the ceremony, Zambian President Edgar Lungu expressed his gratitude to the Chinese builders and noted that the road would change many local people's lives.

Started in August 2017, the project included upgrading and maintenance of a 237.2-kilometer long and 5.5-meter wide road and more than 360 structures like culverts.

Linking the Central and Southern provinces, the road is the first to cross the Kafue River Basin and run through the country's national forest Park.

Before the road opened, people were only allowed to go through the forest in some seasons, which limited transportation and slowed the nation's economic development.

Benefiting local people

Water shortages in drought seasons were one of the main problems during the road construction. 

Local people believed that large-scale well-drilling would damage the original forest, so villagers near the construction site refused the builders' requests to dig a well.

Chen Xiaobo, manager of the project, found that local villagers had other water-related problems, such as obtaining clean drinkable supplies. They had to walk a long way to fetch water from the river.

Seizing the chance, Chen told villagers about the benefits wells can bring and a pilot well was dug in a few weeks. Local people were excited when seeing the clean water.

Later, Chen and his team surveyed and inspected the forest, selecting the best water intake points. A total of five wells were built in the forest, which met the water demands of both the construction and the local people.

Cultivating technical talents

One of the first Zambian employees of the project, Ivans learned many technical skills like electric welding and repairing and is more and more up on the devices used at the project. He is also the best bridge between Chinese and Zambian crews.

He is now a forklift truck driver and head of the project's crushing plant responsible for mechanical operations and some repair work along the road.

He regards the road as a lucky passage for Zambia and for himself and he is willing to continue to learn from his teachers in the project.

Building road in virgin forest

What's it like to build a road through a virgin forest? "Wild animals could be your neighbors," is the answer from Dong Xuefeng who was born in the 1990s.

Dong joined the project as a new university graduate.

He recalled that once they met a group of wild elephants on their way to the construction site.

A three-meter African elephant stood in the road and struck the car body with its trunk. Everyone in the car held their breath.

According to Dong, undertaking construction in a forest means wild animals are inevitable. Although warning lines were set up, mastering the habits of wild animals was still important.

Despite the hardship, Dong said it was worth persevering to complete the road as it is a significant passage linking the remote areas to cities and will greatly improve villagers' lives.

Linking the Central and Southern provinces in Zambia, the 237-kilometer road is the first to go across the Kafue River Basin and through the country's national forest Park. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]

(Executive editor: Zhang Tianyuan)