CairoRoad serves as the primary commercial thoroughfare in Lusaka, Zambia, stretching 1.8 kilometers in a north-south direction between two significant roundabouts: the Great East Road junction (or Kabwe Roundabout) to the north and the Independence Avenue junction (or Kafue Roundabout) to the south. As part of the T2 road network, Cairo Road plays a central role in connecting major routes through the city. It also embodies Cecil Rhodes’ historical vision of creating a Cape to CairoRoad across British colonial Africa.
Running parallel to the main railway line, one block to its east, CairoRoad features a dual carriageway design adorned with trees along the median. Due to its function as the city’s central business artery, Cairo Road often experiences heavy congestion. Although the expansion of Lumumba Road to the west as a bypass helped divert through traffic and alleviated congestion, heavy vehicles moving between the northern and southern sides of the CBD must use this alternative road, as they are barred from Cairo Road.
Nevertheless, Cairo Road still sees significant traffic congestion due to Lusaka’s growing population and the absence of major ring roads. In 2020, the newly constructed Lusaka West Ring Road provided an alternative route for vehicles bypassing the city center, enabling them to avoid both CairoRoad and Lumumba Road while traveling along the T2 road between the southern (Kafue) and northern (Chibombo) regions.
