LUANDA, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- An asphalt road project in Ucuma Municipality, Angola's Huambo Province, constructed by China Railway 20 Bureau Group (CR20), has officially broken ground.
The groundbreaking ceremony was attended on Wednesday by Huambo Province officials and representatives of the Chinese enterprise.
Speaking at the event, Huambo Governor Pereira Alfredo said road infrastructure is vital to regional economic and social development, describing the Ucuma asphalt road as a key project for improving livelihoods and supporting industrial upgrading in the province.
He noted that the project is expected to enhance the local road network and improve travel conditions for residents. The provincial government, he said, will provide support to ensure smooth project implementation and looks forward to its early completion, which is expected to ease transportation difficulties and support agricultural development and rural revitalization in Huambo.
According to CR20 Project Manager Liu Kai, the road, once completed, will replace existing dirt and gravel roads, which are often disrupted by mud during the rainy season and dust during dry periods. The project is expected to increase average travel speeds from 20-30 km per hour to 60-80 km per hour, reducing one-way travel time by 30 to 50 minutes.
The improved road will also facilitate access to healthcare, education, and emergency services, while standardized traffic safety facilities will help reduce risks associated with mixed pedestrian and vehicle traffic, Liu said.
As Huambo is one of Angola's main grain-producing regions, the project is also expected to reduce transportation losses of crops such as maize and beans and lower logistics costs. Improved connectivity will strengthen links with regional trunk roads and integrate the Ucuma area into the province's logistics network, he noted.
During construction, the project is estimated to create between 100 and 200 local jobs and provide on-the-job training for workers, contributing to the development of technical skills in road construction, he added. ■
