The M3 Road is a road in northern

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 ...

that connects Kasama in the Northern Province with the

Congo Pedicle The Congo Pedicle (at one time referred to as the Zaire Pedicle; in French ', meaning 'Katanga boot') is the southeast salient of the Katanga Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which divides neighbouring Zambia into two lobes. In a ...

border at

Chembe Chembe is a border town in Chembe District in the Luapula Province of Zambia. It once had the Chembe Ferry as a means of crossing the Luapula River from DR Congo to Zambia; but now, it is the home of the Mwanawasa Bridge, named after former preside ...

in the

Luapula Province Luapula Province is one of Zambia's ten provinces located in the northern part of the country. Luapula Province is named after the Luapula River and its capital is Mansa. As per the 2010 Zambian census, the Province had a population of 991,92 ...

via Luwingu and

Mansa Mansa may refer to: Places In India * Mansa, Gujarat, a town in northern Gujarat, Western India; the capital of: ** Mansa, Gujarat Assembly constituency ** Mansa State, a princely state under the Mahi Kantha Agency in India * Mansa district, ...

. The road contains two tollgates between Kasama and Mansa. The south-western section of the M3 Road is the 1st section of a shortcut that exists between the

Luapula The Luapula River is a section of Africa's second-longest river, the Congo. It is a transnational river forming for nearly all its length part of the border between Zambia and the DR Congo. It joins Lake Bangweulu (wholly in Zambia) to Lake Mwe ...

and

Copperbelt The Copperbelt () is a natural region in Central Africa which sits on the border region between northern Zambia and the southern Democratic Republic of Congo. It is known for copper mining. Traditionally, the term ''Copperbelt'' includes the ...

Provinces of Zambia, as the area in-between the 2 provinces is owned by the

Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...

. At the Chembe Bridge, the M3 becomes the

Congo Pedicle road The Congo Pedicle road (at one time referred to as the 'Zaire Pedicle road') crosses the Congolese territory of the Congo Pedicle and was constructed by and is maintained by Zambia to connect its Copperbelt and Luapula Provinces. Both the road ...

to the Copperbelt, which is a road maintained by Zambia on Congolese Territory.

Route

The M3 Road begins in Kasama (Capital of the Northern Province), at a junction with the M1 Road in the city centre next to the Kasama Golf Course. It goes westwards for 24 kilometres, bypassing Kasama Airport, to reach a junction with the D20 Road, which provides access to the

Chishimba Falls Chisimba Falls, also Chishimba Falls is a series of waterfalls located in Kasama District, in the Northern Province of Zambia. The waterfalls host the Chishimba Hydroelectric Power Station. The scenic views around the falls, together with a ...

and the town of

Mporokoso Mporokoso (also spelled and pronounced 'Mpolokoso' and 'Mumpolokoso') is a town in the Northern Province of Zambia, lying at an elevation of nearly 1500 m on the flat plateau about 75 km south east of Lake Mweru Wantipa and 100 km south-west of ...

in the northwest. From the D20 junction, the M3 continues westwards for 135 kilometres, through the Kalense Toll Plaza, to the town of Luwingu in the district of the same name. Just after Luwingu, the M3 Road crosses into the

. From Luwingu, the road goes westwards for 100 kilometres to reach a t-junction in Chipili District, where it meets the southern terminus of the M13 Road. As the M13 Road ends at this junction, the M3 Road becomes the road southwards. It proceeds for 78 kilometres, through the town of

Chipili Chipili is a constituency of the National Assembly (Zambia), National Assembly of Zambia. It covers the town of Chipili in Luapula Province. ...

, through the Ntoposhi Toll Plaza, to the city of

(Capital of the

). In Mansa, the M3 meets the D94 Road, which provides access to the resort town of

Samfya Samfya is a town located in the Zambian province of Luapula. It is the centre of Samfya District. The town is located on the south-western shore of Lake Bangweulu, on the longest stretch of well-defined shore of that lake (the northern, eastern ...

on the south-western shore of

Lake Bangweulu Bangweulu — 'where the water sky meets the sky' — is one of the world's great wetland systems, comprising Lake Bangweulu, the Bangweulu Swamps and the Bangweulu Flats or floodplain.Camerapix: ''Spectrum Guide to Zambia.'' Camerapix Internation ...

in the east. From Mansa, the M3 road goes southwards for 90 kilometres to reach the

Border, where it crosses the

Luapula River The Luapula River is a section of Africa's second-longest river, the Congo. It is a transnational river forming for nearly all its length part of the border between Zambia and the DR Congo. It joins Lake Bangweulu (wholly in Zambia) to Lake Mwe ...

as the Mwanawasa Bridge (named after

Levy Mwanawasa Levy Patrick Mwanawasa (3 September 1948 – 19 August 2008) was the third president of Zambia. He served as president from January 2002 until his death in August 2008. Mwanawasa is credited with having initiated a campaign to rid the corrupti ...

; also known as the Chembe Bridge) into the

to become the

, which is a road maintained by Zambia on Congolese territory and which is used as a shortcut for motorists travelling from the

(and Northern Province) to the

Copperbelt Province Copperbelt Province is a province in Zambia which covers the mineral-rich Copperbelt, and farming and bush areas to the south. It was the backbone of the Northern Rhodesian economy during British colonial rule and fuelled the hopes of the immed ...

(and North-Western Province). It becomes the M5 Road at the Copperbelt end of the Congo Pedicle Road. The Congo Pedicle Road is designated as the N36 Route on the DR Congo road network.

Congo Pedicle road

The

is an important road, as it provides motorists in towns located in the Luapula Province (and Northern Province) with easier access to towns located in the Copperbelt and North-Western provinces. It provides a much shorter route than the very-long circular route through

Serenje Serenje is a town of Serenje District, Zambia, lying just off the Great North Road and TAZARA Railway. Serenje has a railway station on the TAZARA railway. Serenje is approximately 191 km from Kapiri Mposhi on the Great North Road. Mkushi i ...

and

Kapiri Mposhi Kapiri Mposhi is a Zambian town, seat of the Kapiri Mposhi District, Central Province. Located north of Lusaka, it stands on the Great North Road and is significant for the railway connection between Zambia Railways line from Kitwe to Lusaka ...

for motorists wanting to travel from Mansa to the north-western area of the country and to the country's industrial and commercial hub of the

. The M3 Road is the road that provides access to the

territory and eventually the town of

Mufulira Mufulira, is a town in the Copperbelt Province of Zambia. Mufulira means "Place of Abundance and Peace". The town developed around the Mufulira Copper Mine in the 1930s. The town also serves as the administrative capital of Mufulira District. ...

in the

from the towns of the Luapula province, making it an important route for motorists planning to save on fuel and planning to avoid spending hours on the road.

References

{{Roads in Zambia Main Roads in Zambia Roads in Zambia Luapula Province Northern Province, Zambia

Route

Congo Pedicle road

See also

References