The Great North Road is a major route in Zambia, running north from Lusaka through Kabwe, Kapiri Mposhi (the road continues by way of a right turn just north of Kapiri Mposhi) Serenje, Mpika, Kasama, Mbala and Mpulungu. 82km North of Mpika is a signposted left turn onto a well maintained gravel road leading to Shiwa Ng'andu (12km) and Kapishya Hot Springs (32km). Historically speaking, it is the Zambian section of the Cape to Cairo Road envisioned by Cecil John Rhodes. In this context, the road from Zambia's border with Zimbabwe at Chirundu to Lusaka is also regarded as being part of the Great North Road, and the portion from Mbala to Mupulungu could be regarded as a spur linking to the Lake Tanganyika steamer service which was popular with travellers up to the 1950s.
When the Mpika-Tanzania highway (the Tanzam Highway) via Tunduma was upgraded in the 1960s and provided a good route through to Dar es Salaam and Arusha, this section became known as the Great North Road rather than the Mpika-Mbala section which might be referred to as the Old Great North Road.
In the centre of Lusaka, the Great North Road is named Cairo Road and this became the city's business and commercial centre, and busiest thoroughfare, now by-passed by heavy goods vehicles for through traffic by Lumumba Road.
Map at www.greatnorthroad.org showing the Great North Road in Zambia from Chirundu on the Zimbabwean border to Tunduma on the Tanzanian border.
