Transport Zambezi

1975 photo of victoria falls bridge

the river interrupted rapids , has never been important long-distance transport route. david livingstone s zambezi expedition attempted open river navigation paddle steamer, defeated cahora bassa rapids. along stretches, more convenient travel canoe along river rather on unimproved roads in poor condition due being regularly submerged in flood waters, , many small villages along banks of river accessible boat. in 1930s , 40s paddle barge service operated on stretch between katombora rapids, 50 kilometres (31 mi) upstream livingstone, , rapids upstream katima mulilo. however, depending on water level, boats paddled through—lozi paddlers, dozen or more in boat, deal of them—or pulled along shore or carried around rapids, , teams of oxen pulled barges 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) on land around ngonye falls.

road, rail , other crossings of river, once few , far between, proliferating. are, in order source:

cazombo road bridge, angola, bombed in civil war , not yet reconstructed
chinyingi suspension footbridge near town of zambezi, 300-metre (980 ft) footbridge built community project
katima mulilo road bridge, 900 metres (3,000 ft), between namibia , sesheke in zambia, opened 2004, completing trans–caprivi highway connecting lusaka in zambia walvis bay on atlantic coast
kazungula bridge—in august 2007 deal announced replace kazungula ferry, 1 of largest river ferries in southern africa, road bridge river 430 metres (1,410 ft) wide
victoria falls bridge (road , rail), first built, completed in april 1905 , intended link in cecil rhodes scheme build railway cape town cairo: 250 metres (820 ft) long
kariba dam carries paved kariba/siavonga highway across river


tourist boat on zambezi river, mosi-oa-tunya national park, zambia. 1971 photo.



otto beit bridge @ chirundu, road, 382 metres (1,253 ft), 1939
second chirundu bridge, road, 400 metres (1,300 ft), 2002
cahora bassa dam in remote area , not carry highway across river
tete suspension bridge, 1-kilometre (1,000 m) road bridge (1970s)
dona ana bridge, railway converted single-lane road, (1935), longest @ 3 kilometres (1.9 mi), since late 2009 again railway bridge, passenger , freight trains again running across , 2011 on railway line on bridge may convey several million of tonnes of tete coal port of beira.
caia bridge—construction started in 2007 of 2.3-kilometre (1.4 mi) road bridge replace caia ferry, which, kazungula, largest ferry across river

there number of small pontoon ferries across river in angola, western zambia, , mozambique, notably between mongu , kalabo. above mongu in years following poor rainy seasons river can forded @ 1 or 2 places.

in tourist areas, such victoria falls , kariba, short-distance tourist boats take visitors along river.