Tanzania's transport network to add strategic link

Tanzania is set to launch the much-awaited Kigongo-Busisi Bridge, which is set to mark a transformative investment in the country's infrastructure. Abdallah Ulega, Tanzania's minister of works, said on Tuesday the project, which aims to enhance connectivity across Lake Victoria, will be launched by President Samia Suluhu Hassan next month.

While speaking in parliament, Ulega said that the bridge built by Chinese firms China Civil Engineering Construction Group and China Railway is a major milestone in the implementation of one of Africa's largest infrastructure projects.

"This is a landmark project, a three-kilometer bridge unlike any other in East and Central Africa. Once launched, it will significantly reduce the crossing time across Lake Victoria from an average of two hours using congested ferries to about four minutes by car," Ulega said.

He added that the project's broader implications for Tanzania's economy and citizen welfare are profound. It supports Tanzania's Vision 2025 and national development plans by enhancing the country's strategic transportation network, which is vital for economic integration and regional trade.

The bridge, spanning 3 km across Lake Victoria's Gulf of Mwanza and built at a cost of over $300 million will become the longest bridge in East Africa and the sixth-longest bridge on the African continent.

Speaking to The Citizen, a national newspaper in Tanzania, Ambrose Pascal, a manager with the Tanzania National Roads Agency, said that the Extra Dosed Bridge Technology that was first used in Tanzania during the construction of the bridge by the Chinese contractors is a part of the legacy that would be left to Tanzanians.

"This is our first-ever experience of this technology. This kind of construction of a state-of-the-art bridge has enabled Tanzanian laborers and engineers, as well as students who have had the opportunity to work at the bridge, to be familiar with modern construction methods since the Chinese contractors engaged them from the project's design and construction to its completion," Pascal said.

The bridge has capacity to accommodate up to 120 cargo tons at a time. It is also expected to serve as a tourism attraction, with people becoming eager to visit the longest bridge in East Africa and the sixth longest in the African continent.