R3 Highway is a primary road in

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...

from the capital city

Harare Harare (; formerly Salisbury ) is the capital and most populous city of Zimbabwe. The city proper has an area of 940 km2 (371 mi2) and a population of 2.12 million in the 2012 census and an estimated 3.12 million in its metropolitan ...

to the Chirundu Border Post with

Zambia Zambia (), officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa, although it is typically referred to as being in Southern Africa at its most cent ...

.Map Center -17.826817,31.03774 Google Maps maps.googleapis.com, Maps, Retrieved 18 March 2016
/ref> It is also known as the A1 Highway. It is part of both the

Beira–Lobito Highway The Beira–Lobito Highway or TAH 9 is Trans-African Highway 9 in the transcontinental road network being developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the African Development Bank (ADB), and the African Union. The route ...

and the

Cape to Cairo Road The Cape to Cairo Road or Pan-African Highway, sometimes called the Great North Road in sub-Saharan Africa, was a proposed road that would stretch the length of Africa, from Cape Town to Cairo, through the Cape to Cairo Red Line of British Em ...

Background

The R3 highway is also known as the Harare-Chirundu Highway. Its historical and popular name is the A1 Highway and is 354 kilometres (220 miles) long. In

it can be picked up at the intersection of Samora Machel Avenue (A5) and Leopold Takawira Street. Follow Leopold Takawira north and turn right into Hebert Chitepo Avenue, then left into Sam Nujoma Street up to Lomagundi Road (A1) at coordinates , and from Chirundu it can be picked from the

Chirundu Bridge The Chirundu Bridge now consists of two road bridges side by side across the Zambezi River between the small town of Chirundu, Zambia and the village of Chirundu, Zimbabwe. At this location around 65 km downstream from the Kariba Dam the r ...

or the

Otto Beit Bridge The Chirundu Bridge now consists of two road bridges side by side across the Zambezi River between the small town of Chirundu, Zambia and the village of Chirundu, Zimbabwe. At this location around 65 km downstream from the Kariba Dam the ...

. ( )

Pan African Highway Link

Together with the R1 Highway which runs from

Beitbridge Beitbridge is a border town in the province of Matabeleland South, Zimbabwe. The name also refers to the border post and bridge spanning the Limpopo River, which forms the political border between South Africa and Zimbabwe. The border on the S ...

, the R3 Highway forms the Chirundu-Beitbridge Regional Road Corridor, which is part of the North-South Corridor known as the

. Chirundu to Beitbridge is 897 kilometres (557 miles).

Trans-African Highway Link

Together with the R5 Highway, which runs from Harare to

Mutare Mutare (formerly Umtali) is the most populous city in the province of Manicaland, and the third most populous city in Zimbabwe, having surpassed Gweru in the 2012 census, with an urban area, urban population of 224,802 and approximately 260,567 ...

, the R3 forms part of the Beira-Lobito Highway which is the

Trans-African Highway Network The Trans-African Highway network comprises transcontinental road projects in Africa being developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the African Development Bank (ADB), and the African Union in conjunction with reg ...

route number 9.

Rehabilitation

The A1 Highway is currently under rehabilitation together with other regional road corridors in

. Most highways in Zimbabwe are more than 30 years old, outliving their 20-year life span, and they need rehabilitation. The rehabilitation of this highway is in conformation of the

Southern African Development Community The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is an inter-governmental organization headquartered in Gaborone, Botswana. Its goal is to further regional socio-economic cooperation and integration as well as political and security coopera ...

(SADC) Regional Infrastructure Master Plan for the North-South Corridor. North-South Corridor is central a passage for SADC members' exports and imports to and from the north. It is seen as crucial to unlocking further development within SADC and the

Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) is a regional economic community in Africa with twenty-one member states stretching from Tunisia to Eswatini. COMESA was formed in December 1994, replacing a Preferential Trade Area whic ...

(COMESA).

Waypoints

Waypoints from South to North;

to Chirundu.

Banket

The first significant waypoint from

is Banket. This waypoint is usually overlapped by motorists because it is only 24.7 km (15.3 mi) before

Chinhoyi Chinhoyi, known until 1982 as Sinoia, is a city in central northern Zimbabwe in the Makonde District. It has a population of 90,800 and is primarily a college town, although it was originally founded as an Italian group settlement scheme. The ...

. -17.38333, 30.4

Chinhoyi

Entering

, the first billboard encountered just after the Manyame Bridge notifies one of a rest place just a kilometre away. Ten years from opening its doors, the Chinhoyi University of Technology Hotel has become a favourite stop-over for travellers along the

Harare-Chirundu Highway R3 Highway is a primary road in Zimbabwe from the capital city Harare to the Chirundu Border Post with Zambia. It is also known as the A1 Highway. It is part of both the Beira–Lobito Highway and the Cape to Cairo Road. Background The R3 highw ...

. When you live

towards

Karoi Karoi is a town in Zimbabwe. Location Karoi is located in Karoi District, Mashonaland West Province, in central northern Zimbabwe. It is located approximately , by road, northwest of Chinhoyi, the nearest large town, and the location of the ...

about 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) north, (that's about from

and about before from Chirundu Border Post is the Chinhoyi Caves Recreational Park, besides the road. The caves are a network of tunnels and caverns which are fascinating places to visit. The water temperature of the Chinhoyi caves is always at 22 degrees Celsius (72 Fahrenheit). The caves are a stopover option for those not wanting to stop in town. Open hours are 0700 hrs to 1700 hrs (GMT).

Karoi

is about 85 kilometres (53 miles) by road, north-west of

, or about 200 kilometres (120 miles) from

and 154 kilometres (96 miles) before Chirundu. About north of

towards

Makuti Makuti is a small village in Mashonaland West province, Zimbabwe. It lies on the main road between Harare and Chirundu borderpost. All traffic for Kariba turns off the Harare-Chirundu road at Makuti. The village is surrounded by wildlife/safari ...

, the Karoi-Gokwe-Binga Roads turns right and eventually reaches Matusadona National Park. Sanyati Bridge is along this road, west.

Makuti

is the last significant waypoint before Chirundu. The M15 highway branches sharply right here to Kariba through to

’s Siavonga Border Post via the

Kariba Dam The Kariba Dam is a double curvature concrete arch dam in the Kariba Gorge of the Zambezi river basin between Zambia and Zimbabwe. The dam stands tall and long. The dam forms Lake Kariba, which extends for and holds of water. Construction Th ...

wall.

Marongora

Marongora Wildlife Campsite is about from

towards Chirundu, that is just more than northwest of

. Tickets to Manna Pools are obtained here.
Marongora Map
External link
Marongora Office Photo
External link.

Bridges

There are several high-level bridges along the highway. However, during the floods of January 2015 some bridges between

and

flooded, a very rare scenario. Chikuti River Bridge was blocked by flowing water near Lion's Den before Mhangura Road turn-off. and Denga River Bridge was also blocked.Walter Nyamukondiwa and Nyemudzai Kakore.5 January 201
, ,
The Herald zw, Top Stories, Retrieved 29 March 2016

References

{{reflist Roads in Zimbabwe