Luangwa Bridge, cable-stayed bridge over the Luangwa River, Eastern Province, Zambia

Luangwa Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge crossing the Luangwa River in Zambia's Eastern Province, with tall steel pylons supporting the main span across the water. The structure was engineered to handle the challenging geography and seasonal changes of this remote area.

An earlier crossing from the 1930s served the area but was eventually destroyed, prompting the need for a new structure. The current bridge was completed in the late 1960s, restoring this vital link across the river.

The bridge carries Zambia's Great East Road over the lower Luangwa River, the only large crossing on this route and the sole access point within the country for Eastern Province. Its position about 2 km from Mozambique and 60 km from Rhodesia made it strategically exposed in regional conflicts, and it was destroyed twice, in the years after independence and again in 1979.

The site can be visited year-round, though rainy seasons may affect road conditions leading to the bridge. It is best to check local conditions before traveling, as this remote location requires planning ahead.

The first bridge on this site, opened in 1932, was financed by the Beit Trust, the same funder as the Chirundu and Beit bridges. It stood about 2 km from Mozambique and 60 km from Rhodesia, and its position as the only access to Zambia's Eastern Province made it a target; it was destroyed after independence in 1964.