The T5 road begins 4 kilometres north-west of the city centre of Chingola, Copperbelt Province, by the Chingola River, at an intersection with the T3 road from Kitwe and Ndola in the south-east and the Kasumbalesa Border Post with DR Congo in the north.

The T5 begins by going west for 175 kilometres from Chingola, through the Enoch Kavindele Toll Plaza,[3] through the northern area of Lufwanyama District, crossing into the North-Western Province and passing through Mushindamo District, to the city of Solwezi (The capital of the North-Western Province; south of Kansanshi mine).

This stretch of the road is significantly important and beneficial to businesses and the transport industry, especially for mining.

From Mutanda, the T5 travels west-north-west for 240 kilometres, through Kalumbila District (where it passes through Manyama and bypasses the Kalumbila mine and town), crossing the Kabompo River and passing through Lumwana, to the town of Mwinilunga.

[5][6] Plans include changing the entire section into a dual carriageway with 2 lanes in each direction.