R3 Highway is a primary road in Zimbabwe from the capital city Harare to the Chirundu Border Post with Zambia.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.

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 Harare 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 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 Harare to

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 Chirundu–Beitbridge Road Corridor is a Trans-African Highway Network Zimbabwean link between South Africa and Zambia. It is part of the North–South Corridor Project and forms the entire Zimbabwean section of the Cape to Cairo Road. The ...

, which is part of the North-South Corridor known as the Cape to Cairo Road. 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 route number 9.

Rehabilitation

The A1 Highway is currently under rehabilitation together with other regional road corridors in Zimbabwe. 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 (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; Harare to Chirundu.

Banket

The first significant waypoint from Harare is Banket. This waypoint is usually overlapped by motorists because it is only 24.7 km (15.3 mi) before Chinhoyi. -17.38333, 30.4

Chinhoyi

Entering Chinhoyi, 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. When you live Chinhoyi towards Karoi about 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) north, (that's about from Harare 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

Karoi is about 85 kilometres (53 miles) by road, north-west of Chinhoyi, or about 200 kilometres (120 miles) from Harare and 154 kilometres (96 miles) before Chirundu. About north of Karoi towards Makuti, the Karoi-Gokwe-Binga Roads turns right and eventually reaches Matusadona National Park.

Sanyati Bridge Sanyati is a town in Zimbabwe. Location The town is located in Kadoma District, in Mashonaland West Province, in northern central Zimbabwe. This location is about , by road, northwest of the city of Kadoma, where the district headquarters ar ...

is along this road, west.

Makuti

Makuti is the last significant waypoint before Chirundu. The M15 highway branches sharply right here to Kariba through to Zambia’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 Chinhoyi towards Chirundu, that is just more than northwest of Harare. 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 Chinhoyi and Karoi 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