The Government of India will support the development of the $289m Lusaka Traffic Decongestion Project in Zambia with $250m funding.

The foundation stone for this 93km-long project was laid by Indian President Ram Nath Kovind and his Zambian counterpart Edgar Chagwa Lungu, during the former’s visit to the African nation.

During the occasion, President Kovind said that traffic congestion is a modern day challenge across all urban centres worldwide, where traffic gridlocks results into significant economic costs and well-being of the commuters.

The scope of the project involves construction of new roads with dedicated bus lanes, as well as installation of streetlights, according to media reports.

Scheduled to be completed in three years, the project is expected to reduce traffic jam and journey durations.

“Scheduled to be completed in three years, the project is expected to reduce traffic jam and journey durations.”

President Kovind also hoped that the Lusaka project will help strengthen cooperation between India and Zambia on socially relevant initiatives.

This project is the biggest government-to-government cooperation project, Lusakatimes.com quoted Zambian President Lungu as saying.

He added that Zambia is working to become a transport hub for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region by focusing on the development and expansion of roads and creation of ring roads.

President Lungu also thanked EXIM Bank of India and the contractors AFCOMS and Shapoorji Pallonji for the involvement with the Lusaka Traffic Decongestion Project.

The Zambian Government is currently also working to decongest Lusaka roads by working on other road projects in the city, including L400.