According to the government official, "six new ring roads will be built in the cities of Huambo, Benguela, Malanje, Ndalatando, Caxito and Cabinda by 2027".
Quoted in a statement from CIPRA, to which VerAngola had access, the Minister of Public Works said that, "within the programme of ring roads approved for the period 2017-2027, the completion of the works on the first phase of the Lubango Ring Road, with 38.7 kilometres, in the province of Huíla, and Sumbe, with 38.2, in Cuanza Sul, is expected soon".
Regarding the Saurimo Ring Road – inaugurated this Tuesday by the President of the Republic –, the minister said that it is the "first and largest ring road of all to be inaugurated" within the framework of the Government's programme.
With this inauguration, the country's road network gains "a new consistency", he considered.
"Angola's road network gains new consistency with the inauguration of the new Saurimo ring road, which is 39,260 kilometres long," the minister pointed out.
"The infrastructure has longitudinal and transversal drainage, four bridges over the Cadendembe, Nhama, Txiaungo and Luvari rivers, with a length of 540.5 metres, horizontal and vertical signage and public lighting," the statement reads.
According to the minister, the "main objective of the ring road is to create alternative routes that avoid heavy traffic and other urban traffic crossings, whose destination is not the city of Saurimo".
The connection is made by means of "roundabouts with national roads (EN) 230 and 180 to the provinces of Lunda Norte, Malanje, Moxico Leste and Moxico, facilitating the connection with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia".
On the occasion, Carlos dos Santos also announced that approximately 41 percent of the country's total road network is paved.
The minister, quoted in another CIPRA statement to which VerAngola had access, said that "the national road network has already paved 11,400 kilometres, which corresponds to 41 percent of its total length", adding that 29 percent of the municipal network is also paved.
Carlos dos Santos admitted that they still have a "long way" to go: "We are aware that there is still a long way to go, particularly the maintenance and conservation of the roads that are already paved".
The Minister of Public Works, Urbanism and Housing indicated for the EN 230, "in the Catete/Maria Teresa, Zenza do Itombe/Ndalatando/Malanje section, the Luanda/Huambo connections, via the EN 120 and Benguela/Lubango/Ondjiva via the EN 105".
On the occasion, he also highlighted the approval of the toll and weighing programme, which will contribute to "greater conservation of the roads".
"He also highlighted the imminent implementation of a specific programme for dirt roads, considering the involvement of companies from neighbouring countries, such as Namibia and Zambia", the note reads.
He also took the opportunity to highlight the signing of a memorandum with the Chinese group CRBC, "for the operation under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) regime of the construction of the North-South motorway".
"With an approximate length of 1300 kilometres, the motorway will link Angola to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Namibia, and studies and projects are already under development", the statement states.
The minister also said that the "authorization to sign the memorandum for the construction of the West/East motorway, with an Angolan/Turkish and American consortium, is coming soon", the project for which "will cover an approximate length of 1330 kilometers and will connect Angola to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia".
President praises new Saurimo ring road
The President of the Republic, João Lourenço, not only inaugurated the Saurimo Ring Road but also decided to test its quality, having driven the almost 40 kilometers that make up this road infrastructure.
Speaking to the press, the head of state praised the quality of the new infrastructure: "As for the Saurimo Ring Road project, I confirm the quality of the work. I confirm it from what I saw, from what I felt driving those approximately 39 kilometers", he said.
"This will make life easier for everyone, not just the inhabitants of Saurimo, but for all those who travel from Luanda to the east of our country, to the provinces of Lunda Sul, Lunda Norte, Moxico and Moxico Leste, transporting cargo and people," he added.
João Lourenço also confirmed that the railway line that will connect Luena and Saurimo will become a reality.
"Regarding the Luena-Saurimo railway line, it is a project that will happen. As you know, a project of this magnitude has a phase of preparation for the project itself, of mobilizing financial resources, of financing, but we reiterate that what was said some time ago about this line was not mere propaganda, but is something that will actually happen," he pointed out.
