The Kakoso Bridge at km 15 on the Chingola-Chililabombwe stretch of the T3 road collapsed after heavy overnight rains on Feb. 28, 2026, Zambia’s Road Development Agency (RDA) said.

The T3 is one of the main routes to the Kasumbalesa border crossing, the primary transit point between Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

In a statement published Sunday, March 1, the RDA said preliminary investigations indicate that drainage structures failed after being overwhelmed by the volume of rainwater. Emergency repairs have begun and a temporary diversion has been put in place to restore traffic.

Namibia’s NBC, citing Zambian road authorities, reported that the diversion may not be suitable for heavy trucks. The restriction could disrupt supplies of essential goods to the DRC, particularly to Lubumbashi and Kolwezi, which depend heavily on cargo transiting through Zambia.

The agency added that motorists are advised to avoid the route while work on the diversion is under way to prevent congestion that could hamper emergency operations.

According to Bank of Zambia data, the DRC imported $426.1 million worth of goods from Zambia in the third quarter of 2025. It is a major destination for Zambian agricultural products and sulfur, a key input in the production of sulfuric acid used in copper and cobalt processing. A prolonged disruption on this route could affect both household supplies and mining supply chains.

The affected section forms part of the Walvis Bay-Ndola-Lubumbashi Development Corridor, which links Lubumbashi to the Namibian port of Walvis Bay. Spanning about 2,690 km, the corridor enables part of the Katanga copperbelt’s mineral output to reach the Atlantic coast in four to five days. It is also a key logistics route for regional trade, including the transport of fish products from Namibia to the DRC via Zambia and Kasumbalesa.

Timothée Manoke