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Theย $300 million JP Magufuli Bridge on Lake Victoria will provide a crucial link between Tanzania and neighboring Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi
Entebbe, Uganda | LOUIS JADWONG & AGENCIES |ย ย Tanzania has this week completed construction of East Africa’s longest bridge built across the gulf of Mwanza.
The new bridge forms part of the Tanzanian Trunk Road T4, which runs along Lake Victoria, connecting Tarime at the Kenyan border to Bukoba at the Ugandan border.
The magnificent Chinese built 3.2-kilometre bridge will cut travel time in the area from 2 hours to just 4 minutes, and is scheduled to be inaugurated before the end of the year by Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
The project would have been completed in July 2023, but construction was delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic that particularly hit China.ย The Chinese-built mega infrastructure has been handled by China Civil Engineering Construction Group (CCECG) and China Railway.
Originally known as the Kigongo-Busisi Bridge, it was renamed JP Magufuli Bridge in honour of Tanzania’s former president John Pombe Joseph Magufuli. The bridge was entirely financed by the government of Tanzania through its own revenues, in true Magufuli tradition.
The People’s Daily, the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), said construction of the bridge was completed on October 6.
“As the last tank of cement was poured on Sunday, the construction of the Magufuli Bridge was completed by two Chinese companies in Tanzania’s northwestern Mwanza region,” the People’s Daily said in an online post.
“The Magufuli Bridge is the only extra-dosed cable-stayed bridge in the Lake Victoria region and the longest of its kind in Africa.”
The People’s Daily added that the bridge connects Misungwi and Sengerema districts and provides a crucial link between Tanzania and neighbouring countries of Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda.
#CRCCFocus On October 6, the main bridge of the Magufuli Bridge in #Tanzania completed its closure. This low-tower cable-stayed bridge, constructed by #CRCC, is the longest in Africa of its kind, measuring 4.66 km. It is expected to open to traffic by the end of 2024 officially. pic.twitter.com/DOQ9JSCasp
โ China Railway Construction Corporation (@CRCCNews) October 8, 2024
๐๐ก๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐ง๐ฅ๐จ๐๐ง๐จ๐ฅ๐
๐ง๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐๐ฟ๐๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐๐ณ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ’๐ ๐น๐ผ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ด๐ฒ
โพThe $300 million Magufuli Bridge on Lake Victoria will provide a crucial link between Tanzania and neighboring Uganda, Rwandaโฆ pic.twitter.com/3LhhZwuk7g
โ Tanzania Business Insight (@TanzaniaInsight) October 8, 2024
Tanzania building a 4.7km bridge, the Magufuli bridge, and not talking about it everyday, while pursuing the 2,000MW+ Julius Nyerere Hydropower Dam and simultaneously using part of and building Africa’s longest Standard Gauge Railway and being food secure plus a prime tourismโฆ https://t.co/MQWIkQIxFH pic.twitter.com/QUrqE0gXNp
โ DBwambale (@TheMutaD) October 8, 2024
The primary goal of the Kigongo-Busisi Bridge is to improve connectivity between Mwanza and Geita regions. By providing a direct link over Lake Victoria, it aims to reduce travel time and transportation costs, promoting smoother movement of people and goods.
The bridge is part of a broader infrastructure initiative that includes the MV โHapa Kazi Tuโ ship, also nearing completion and the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), specifically the Mwanza-Isaka section, which is 60 per cent complete.
It will drastically reduce travel time between Kigongo and Busisi from over 30 minutes by ferry to less than four minutes by car.
Before the bridge’s construction, the only link between Kigongo and Busisi was via ferry, resulting in lengthy travel times and delays.
The bridge project has created over 1,500 jobs, with a significant portion filled by Tanzanians, contributing to capacity building and economic development in the region. Once completed, the bridge will not only improve local transportation but also serve as a crucial link between Tanzania and neighboring countries like Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda, fostering regional integration and economic prosperity
The Magufuli Bridge is the only extra-dosed cable-stayed bridge in the Lake Victoria region and the longest of its kind in Africa.
These projects align with the Tanzania Development Vision 2025 (TDV 2025), emphasising improved accessibility and infrastructure across the country. The ongoing work reflects the governmentโs commitment to accelerating development as outlined in the ruling party CCM Election Manifesto 2020-2025.
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