The Thapama circle in Botswana will be closed on Wednesday, 8 April as construction of the Francistown interchange, set to enhance traffic flow and ease congestion on the A1 Road during peak hours, commences.

Officials in Botswana say more than 4 000 vehicles pass through the circle daily. The interchange is designed to speed up the arrival of goods and make the area more appealing to local and foreign investors.

The construction of the interchange is supposed to address key accidents spots while increasing economic activity within the North-South trade corridor and between Martin’s Drift and Kazungula village.

The corridor is heavily used by commercial vehicles, especially by freight companies transporting goods and services from South Africa.

Botswana is an important player in the overall transportation network within SADC and the quality of its transport system is important to investor attractiveness and regional competitiveness.