KWALA Dry Port in Coast Region is set to begin operations next month following its completion this month.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Works and Transport Gabriel Migire made the statement on Monday, when he toured the project, adding that the port will start handling cargo from Dar es Salaam Port next January.
The project consists of construction of the dry port at a cost of 36bn/- and 15.5-kilometre tarmac road connecting Morogoro Highway at Vigwaza area with the Kwala Dry Port.
Mr Migire noted that when he inspected the construction of the road, adding that the government will continue to ensure efficiency of the port.
“The operations of Kwala Port will help to reduce congestion at Dar Port because it will store on-transit cargo to neighbouring countries of Burundi, Rwanda, DR Congo, Uganda, Zambia and Malawi,” he said.
SUMA JKT Engineer Joseph Marandu said the construction of the tarmac road connecting the port will be completed at the end of this month.
Eng Marandu said that currently the undergoing work includes installing of street lights, cameras and floor finishing for storing the containers.
On his part, Tanzania National Roads Agency Eng Jacob Mambo said the project has taken into account the cargoes which will be stored at the port by ensuring that they adhere to the required standards.
Kwala Dry Port is expected to decongest Dar es Salaam Port and improve its performance because offloaded cargo will be transported directly to the dry port.
In analysis, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) Election Manifesto directs the government to develop transport infrastructures of all ports, since they are crucial in stimulating social economic development of the country.
The Third Five-Year Development Plan 2021/22 – 2025/26 has also stressed the importance of improving the performance of the ports in the country.
According to Tanzania Ports Authority, upon completion Kwala Dry Port will have rail, water, road, electricity and community infrastructures that will simplify operations at the port and the project area in general.
The impending functioning of this dry port, located in Coast region, would usher in a new era of carrying cargo by train from the Dar es Salaam Port, thus, relieving roads from catering for heavy cargo trucks from the country’s mega port.
According to officials, the dry port master plan will help to ease transit cargo handling at the port of Dar es Salaam.
The dry port will also help to decongest Dar es Salaam City since the shipment of containerised cargo by customers will start in the Coast Region.
Currently, long vehicles congest Dar es Salaam every day to load containers before shipping them to the neighbouring countries, and end up causing heavy traffic jams in the city roads.
