EN1 (Mozambique)
The national road EN1 ( Portuguese Estrada Nacional Número Um ) is a trunk road that connects the north and south of the country as the main traffic axis of Mozambique . Because of its total length of 2,471.2 kilometers and the nationwide extent it is also called the Mozambique Highway .
history
The extension of the road to EN1 took several decades. The first sections of the route had been passable for heavy goods vehicles since 1963. Until the independence of Mozambique in 1975, the Junta Autónoma de Estradas de Moçambique administered the street. Since 1975, the road has been maintained by the Mozambique National Road Administration ( Administração Nacional de Estradas ).
The EN1 is the oldest efficient north-south road connection, whereas the other highways were built for the transport of goods between the ports on the Indian Ocean and destinations in the neighboring countries and thus largely followed the east-west direction. The EN1 is one of the few roads in Mozambique that is paved throughout, for the most part two lanes.
Attacks by the RENAMO (2012-2014)
In 2012 the opposition party RENAMO began again to resolve the conflict with the ruling party FRELIMO through armed violence. Between 2013 and 2014, armed fighters repeatedly attacked trucks, buses and cars on the 100-kilometer stretch of road between Muxungue and Rio Save. The government then set up a daily mobile military escort for vehicles on the stretch of route, with the convoy traveling only a few times a day. Nevertheless, there were repeated attacks and several deaths. With the signing of the new peace treaty between the two parties in August 2014, the convoy journeys ended on August 27, 2014.
New buildings in the Maputo area
With the help of Chinese support, the Mozambican government had two major projects built in the Maputo area, which also had an impact on the national road: On the one hand, the government commissioned the construction of the ring road around Maputo ( Estrada Circular ), and the EN1 section was expanded to four lanes.
After years of planning, construction work began in 2014 on a bridge from Maputo across the bay to Katembe , which was opened to traffic in November 2018. After completion, it is planned to extend the EN1 from Maputo over the bridge to Ponta do Ouro or the Kosi Bay border crossing (South Africa).
future
Even if the road is one of the best developed in the country, improvements and expansion projects are ongoing.
The Japanese government is financing the expansion of a 430-kilometer stretch between Nampevo (province of Zambézia) and Cuamba (province of Niassa) with 175 million US dollars, including the construction of 13 new bridges. According to media reports, the renewal of the 330-kilometer section between Inchope and Caia is also planned.
meaning
The EN1 national road links many other national and regional roads in Mozambique due to its north-south direction and overall length . It enables uninterrupted road traffic along most of the country's longitudinal axis. There is practically no equivalent alternative to the road, it is the only connection between the north and south of Mozambique. In particular in connection with the national road EN6 (connection between the port of Beira and Zimbabwe) it is the most important road in the country and makes a significant contribution to the promotion of the gross domestic product.
It is also the one with the highest traffic density in relation to other roads in the country . The National Road Administration ( Administração Nacional de Estradas / ANE) estimates that in 2013 340,000 vehicles per day passed the road (in parts).
The road is not tolled. Plans discussed in 2009 for toll stations based on the model of the national road EN4 , which is operated by the South African motorway operator TRAC , were not pursued by the national government. The use of some bridge structures, including the Armando Guebuza Bridge over the Zambezi , which opened in 2009 , is, however, associated with a toll payment.
Route
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The start of the national road EN1 is in the Mozambican capital Maputo . Its beginning forms a junction with the national road EN2, which here as an extension of Avenida 24 de Julho leads from the city center to the west. The transition between the two streets is to the west of the capital city center, not far from the elongated port area with the Maputo train station and near the Maputo University of Education . The continuation of the road leading under the EN2 forms a connection road to the port and the neighboring freight yard area.
From the junction of the two national roads, the EN1 runs northeast as Avenida De Moçambique over the multi-lane Avenida Joaquim Chissano , past the Zoological Garden ( Jardim Zoológico ) on the left and the International Airport on its right flank , further north through the extensive outskirts of the City with its quarters laid out like a chessboard.
In the outskirts of Maputo, it swings to the northeast, where its course continues as Avenida De Moçambique through continuously populated area to the next town of Marracuene and then continues to Manhiça . There the Linha de Limpopo railway line, which has hitherto accompanied the road and comes from Maputo, turns to the northwest. The route of the national road remains close to the coast and on the level. After Taninga it crosses the Rio Incomati near the Lagoa Chuali . After crossing the river, the road changes from the province of Maputo to the province of Gaza at the town of Magul . She comes across the place Macia , where two regional roads branch off. This takes you either to Praia do Bilene on the Indian Ocean or via Chókwè inland to Massingir at the Massingir Dam and the headquarters of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park .
From Macia, the road only touches smaller towns, such as Incala and Chissano, until it crosses the Limpopo with a large bridge and reaches the coastal city of Xai-Xai , capital of the Gaza province. At a short distance from the ocean coast with some bathing beaches and sensitive wetlands between dunes and lagoons , the EN1 is the only high-performance overland road here. In Chonguene the running towards Chokwe regional road takes 208 began. Likewise, a railway line that starts in Xai-Xai branches off here and runs north, providing access to smaller towns by rail and ending just a few kilometers beyond the provincial border in the neighboring region.
The EN1 runs from Chonguene via Chidenguele, Madender to the provincial border at Zandamela. In the province of Inhambane , the highway connects smaller coastal towns like Quissico and Guilundo another and passing in front of Inharrime the Lagoa Poelela . A railway line ends in this place, which accompanies the trunk road in parallel for sections and leads to the coastal town of Inhambane . The course of the road now turns in a wide arc in a northerly direction, touches Cumbana and reaches the small town of Lindela. Here a regional road branches off to Inhambane. Further north, the national road reaches Maxixe , Morrumbene and Massinga . After the latter location, it gains greater distance from the coastline and touches smaller towns. At Pambarra a regional road branches off to the coastal town of Vilankulo , from which the islands of the national park and archipelago of Bazaruto can be reached by ship or plane .
After Pambarra the national road leads to Macovane, where it turns to the northwest and reaches the place Save . Here she crosses the Rio Save with a bridge . The course of the river also forms the provincial border between Inhambane and Sofala . After the modern bridge, the EN1 takes its course through a sparsely populated area of the coastal plain, the largest town of which is on the Muxunge road . To the north of it it crosses the Rio Lucite and the Rio Revue , on to Inchope at the junction with the EN6. On the EN6, a volume of traffic, partly from Zimbabwe , moves between the Machipanda border crossing and the port city of Beira on the Indian Ocean. In the section from the crossing of the Rio Lucite to shortly after the city of Inchope, the highway passes twice through the territory of the Manica province .
After Inchope, the trunk road returns to the Sofala province, runs along the western border of the Gorongosa National Park and swings in an arc to the west around the Serra da Gorongosa massif , which is already outside the national park area. Now it crosses flat and sparsely populated land again, passing the Rio Nhamapasa and the swampy plains of the Rio Mucua and then meets the city of Caia . Here the road crosses the Zambezi on the Armando-Guebuza bridge, which is subject to a toll . At the same time it reaches the province of Zambézia with its northern bank .
Now the passage of a sparsely populated area of the coastal zone follows with numerous crossings of smaller rivers that flow into the Indian Ocean. The EN10 national road branches off near Niacuadala to the coastal town of Quelimane . The EN1 national road continues via Namacurra , where it turns north and is accompanied by a railway line coming from Quelimane. After the small town of Male, the EN1 reaches the junction with the EN7 in Mocuba . The railway line also ends here. Further in a northerly direction the trunk road touches smaller towns. In Nampevo a regional road branches off to Errego. Continuing via Alto Molócue and Alto Ligonha, the trunk road leaves the province of Zambézia to the latter place by crossing the Rio Ligonha to meet the place Murrupula in Nampula . In the city of Nampula, road traffic can use the EN8 leading to the border with Malawi . A railway line also leading to the neighboring country accompanies the EN8 from here. From Nampula in an easterly direction the trunk road is accompanied by this railway line. In Namialo , the EN1 turns sharply north. There is a junction of the EN8 to the coastal town of Nacala , where the railway line also leads and ends.
Heading further north, the highway touches the places Netia , Nacaroa , Alua and Namapa . Then she crosses the Rio Lúrio . This river forms the border between the provinces of Nampula and Cabo Delgado . Now it affects the towns of Chiúre-Novo and Metoro . In the village of Suriate, a regional road branches off to the north, via which one can reach the border with Tanzania on other low-ranking routes .
From Suriate the EN1 continues in the coastal plain to the port town of Pemba and ends here.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Relatório de tráfego 2013. (No longer available online.) Administração Nacional de Estradas - Direcção de Planificação, 2013, archived from the original on March 4, 2016 ; Retrieved October 20, 2014 (Portuguese). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Manfred Kuder: Moçambique. A geographical, social and economic study of the country . Darmstadt 1975. p. 190
- ↑ Johannes Beck: Fear of a new civil war in Mozambique. Deutsche Welle, June 27, 2013, accessed October 20, 2014 .
- ^ Rebel Attacks on Military Vehicle continues in Mozambique. In: African Cargo News. June 19, 2014, accessed October 20, 2014 .
- ↑ Renamo intensifica Ataques a colunas de viaturas entre Muxúnguè e Rio Save. In: O País. June 26, 2013. Retrieved October 20, 2014 (Portuguese).
- ↑ Polícia da República em Sofala anuncia fim de escoltas militares no troço Muxúnguè-Save. In: O País. August 28, 2014. Retrieved October 22, 2014 (Portuguese).
- ^ Adérito Caldeira: Estrada Nacional nº 1 passa ligar Pemba à Ponta de Ouro. In: @Verdade. August 8, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2018 (Portuguese).
- ↑ ZAMBÉZIA: Entre Nampevo / Cuamba: Japão financia construção de 13 pontes. (No longer available online.) Club of Mozambique, January 15, 2014, formerly in the original ; Retrieved October 20, 2014 (Portuguese). ( Page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b EN1 vai à reabilitação. In: Jornal Notícias. May 14, 2014, accessed October 22, 2014 (Portuguese).
- ↑ Instalação de portagens na EN1 pode ser entre Junho e Julho. In: O País. May 12, 2009. Retrieved October 22, 2014 (Portuguese).
- ^ High Commission of the Republic of Mozambique (UK): Zambezi Bridge inaugurated . News from August 5, 2009 at www.mozambiquehighcommission.org.uk (English)
