THE $104.5 million Tanzanite Bridge project in Tanzania is currently 71.3 percent complete. According to the Chief Executive Officer of the Tanzania Roads Agency (TANROADS), Patrick Mfugale, the project is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
‘Construction of all 254 foundation pillars has been completed in tandem with the construction of platforms to facilitate the construction of a permanent bridge foundation,’ the CEO told members of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Infrastructure during a visit to the construction site.
Chairman of the committee, Seleman Kakoso, commended the Ministry of Works and Tanroads for successfully implementing the project, saying they were more than happy to be told that a local contractor was supervising the work.
‘We are pleased with the progress of this project as well as the capacity building program for local contractors so that when this construction is completed they will have the skills to implement the construction of other bridges,’ said Kakoso who is also Mpanda Rural MP in Katavi region.
The 1.03km long bridge with 20.5 metres width is being constructed across the Indian Ocean. Construction of the modern bridge aims at easing traffic jams on Ali Hassan Mwinyi Road, which accommodates many vehicles that flow to and from the city centre. Late last year, the TANROADS Project Director, Eng Christianus Ako said the 2017 statistics showed that 42,000 vehicles were using Ali Hassan Mwinyi road per day.
The project is being implemented by the Southern Korean GS Engineering Corporation. It has employed 590 people, with 92 percent of them being Tanzanians. According to the project Director, only 8 percent of the experts are from abroad, the rest of the workers are Tanzanians. He further added that 24 engineers from the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communication are getting training under the project.