THE Ministry for Works and Transport may soon upgrade several roads in Mbeya region, including the Sangambi – Shoga and Shoga – Udindilwa, roads the House heard on Friday.
According to Deputy Minister for Works and Transport, Mr Atupele Mwakibete, the distance from Chunya district to Mbarali district via Mbeya was very long compared to a shortcut through Chunya and Mbarali.
“The government understands that there is a challenge of lack of a proper road thus forcing residents from both districts to travel long distances and huge costs,” he said.
The deputy minister was responding to a question posed by Mbarali MP Francis Mtega who had wanted to know when the government would construct a shortcut road between Mbarali and Chunya districts so as to widen business base as well as reduce transport cost.
In response, Mr Mwakibete said that because of the importance of having a shortcut in those areas, the Mbeya Region Roads Board, through its meeting conducted on January 09this year, provided recommendations to the Minister for Works and Transport to upgrade the Njiapanda – Sangambi – Shoga road as well as opening a new road from Shoga in Chunya district to Udindilwa in Mbarali district which is approximated at 22 kilometres.
“After the recommendations were presented to the minister of works and transport, the minister directed the National Roads Consultative Committee to go to Mbeya region to make a thorough assessment and the team arrived in the region on February 24, 2023, where it visited all roads that are set for upgrading including the Njiapanda – Sangambi – Shoga – Udindilwa roads,’’ he noted.
According to him, the committee’s recommendations had already been presented to the minister and that the assessment was still ongoing adding that the report would be provided anytime soon. “If that road meets all the requisite criteria to be upgraded, it will be a regional road and it will be placed to the Tanzania Roads Agency (TANROADS).
