Roads in Botswana

Botswana has a network of roads of varied quality and capacity, totaling about as of 2024. Of these, are paved. This includes of motorways. The remaining worth of roads are unpaved. Road distances are shown in kilometers and speed limits are indicated in kilometers per hour (kph) or by the use of the national speed limit (NSL) symbol. Some vehicle categories have various lower maximum limits enforced by speed limits, for example trucks.

Classification

Administration

Responsibility for the road network differs between trunk and non-trunk routes. Trunk roads, which are the most important roads, are administered by the Ministry of Transport. The classifications of A and B roads are independent of their width and quality. Some B roads are wide enough to accommodate bidirectional traffic, while others are narrower with various passing locations. B roads follow the same numbering scheme as A roads, but almost always have 3- and 4- digit designation.

A roads A roads are highways and other major roads. Name Terminus Major Intersection(s) TerminusA1Zimbabwe (A7)Ramokgwebane (B315), Tshesebe (B311), Francistown (A3, B162), Dikabeya (B151), Serule (A15), Palapye (A14, B140), Mahalapye (B145, B147), Pilane (B130), Gaborone (A10, A12), Ramotswa (A11, B111), Otse (B105), Lobatse (A2), Ramatlabama (B202)South Africa (N18)A2Namibia (B6)Charles Hill (B214), A3 (south of Ghanzi), Morwamosu (B102), Sekoma (A20), Kanye (A10, B105, B202), Lobatse (A1)South Africa (N4)A3A2Ghanzi, Sehithwa (A35), Maun (B334), Matopi (B300), Nata (A33), Dukwe (A32), Sebina (A31)Francistown (A30, A1)A10Gaborone (A1, A12)Thamaga (B111), MosopaKanye (A2, B105, B202)A11Ramotswa (A1, B111)noneSouth AfricaA12Morwamosu (A2)Molepolole (B111, B112), Gaborone (A1)South Africa (R49)A14Orapa (A30, B300)Serowe (B145)Palapye (A1, B140)A15Serule (A1)noneSelebi Phikwe (B157, B150)A20Sekoma (A2)Khakhea (B205)Tshabong (B210, B211)A30Orapa (A14, B300)noneFrancistown (A3)A31TutumenoneSebina (A3)A32SowanoneDukwe (A3)A33NamibiaMuchenje, Kasane, Pangamatenga (B333)Nata (A3)A35NamibiaShakaweSehithwa (A3)

B roads B roads are distributor roads, which see less traffic than A roads.

Name Terminus Major Intersection(s) Terminus B105Kanye (A2, A10, B202) noneOtse (A1) B111Molepolole (A12, B102, B112) Thamaga (A10)Ramotswa (A1, A11) B112 Shoshong (B145) none Molepolole (A12, B102, B111) B122 Lentsweletau (B123) Kopong Metsimotlhabe (A12) B123 Lentsweletau (B122) Mahetlwe Hatsalatladi B127 Letlhakeng (A12) none Khudumelapye B130 Pilane (A1) Mochudi, Sikwane (B135) South Africa B135Malolwane noneSikwane (B130) B140Palapye (A1, A14) Sherwood (B141)South Africa (Grobler's Bridge/N11) B141Machaneng (B147, B148) noneSherwood (B140) B145Serowe (A14) Shoshong (B112)Mahalapye (A1, B147) B147Mahalapye (A1, B145) noneMachaneng (B141, B148) B148B140 noneMachaneng (B141, B147) B150Selebi Phikwe (A15) Sefophe (B151)Tsetsebjwe B151Dikabeya (A1) Sefophe (B150), Bobonong (B155)Kobojango B155Bobonong (B150) noneMolalatau B157Mmadinare noneSelebi Phikwe (A15) B162Francistown (A1, A3) noneMatsiloje B202Kanye (A, A10, B105) noneRamatlabana (A1) B205A2 Khakhea (A20), then goes southward with no known terminus? B210Tshabong (A20, B211) noneSouth Africa (R380) B211South Africa (near R360) BokspitsTshabong (A20, B211) B214Charles Hill (A2) noneNcojane B300Matopi (A3) RakopsOrapa (A14, A30) B311Masunga (B316) noneTshesebe (A1) B315Zwenshambe (B316) MorokaRamokgwebane (A1) B316Zwenshambe (B315) noneMasunga (B311) B333A33 PandamatengaZimbabwe B334Shorobe noneMaun (A3)

Motorways

Motorways in Botswana have a set of restrictions, which prohibit certain traffic from using the road. The following classes of traffic are not allowed on Botswana motorways:

Learner drivers Slow vehicles (i.e., not capable of reaching 60 km/h on a level road). Invalid carriages (lightweight three-wheeled vehicles) Pedestrians Pedal-cycles (bicycles, etc.) Vehicles under 50cc (e.g., mopeds) Tractors Animals

Rules for driving on motorways include the following:

The keep-left rule applies unless overtaking No stopping at any time No reversing No hitchhiking Only vehicles that travel faster than 80 km/h may use the outside lane No driving on the hard-shoulder

The general motorway speed limit is 120 km/h.

Signage

Signage on the Botswana network conforms broadly to Southern Africa norms, though a number of signs omit Southern Africa route numbers. All length distances are shown in kilometers, speed is in kilometers per hour whilst height and width restrictions are required to be shown in feet and inches (though the metric measurements may optionally also appear).

Traditionally, road signs in Botswana used blue backgrounds rather than the yellow, white, or orange that the rest of the world uses on traffic warning signs. In the early 2010s, officials announced plans to begin phasing out the distinctive blue signs in favor of more typical signs to be more in line with the neighboring Southern African Development Community member states.

Roads in Botswana

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