TANROADS keen to decongest Dodoma City

DODOMA: TANZANIA National Roads Agency (TANROADS) is working to complete a 112km outer ring road and upgrade existing roads as part of the Dodoma Integrated and Sustainable Transport (DIST) project in order to remove traffic congestion in the rapid growing city.

TANROADS Director of Infrastructure Planning, Engineer Ephatar Mlavi, revealed the plan in Dodoma earlier this week while presenting the agency’s implementation report for the past four years.

According to the director, the first phase of the Dodoma outer ring road project, which links Nala-VeyulaMtumbwa-Ihumwa Dry Port (52.3km), is 91 per cent complete, while the second phase, Ihumwa Dry Port-Matumbulu-Nala (62km), is 85 per cent complete.

He said that under the Dodoma Integrated and Sustainable Transport (DIST) initiative, funded by the World Bank (WB), TANROADS will continue expanding key roads leading to and from the city, including the DodomaChamwino Road (52km).

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Beyond Dodoma, the official noted that similar decongestion strategies are being implemented in Mbeya, where part of the TANZAM Expressway specifically the Uyole-Ifisi-Songwe Airport section (36km) will be upgraded to four lanes.

Additionally, the agency will oversee the upgrading of the 37km MwanzaUsagara-JPM Bridge Road to four lanes to remove congestion in Mwanza City.

“The feasibility study for road upgrading projects in Arusha and Kilimanjaro is still ongoing. This includes sections of Tengeru–Usa River, Kwa Sadala Diversion and Kibosho ShineKiboroloni,” Eng Mlavi explained.

Since President Samia Suluhu Hassan assumed office, TANROADS has undertaken 15,625.55 km of road construction projects, completing 1,365.87 km of tarmac roads in the past four years.

The director further noted that 2,031.11 km of tarmac roads are still under construction, while feasibility studies have been conducted on 2,052.94 km in preparations for upgrading to tarmac levels.

He added that nine major bridges, including the Tanzanite Bridge, which spans the Indian Ocean, were completed in the past four years, while 10 others are currently under construction.

The completed bridges include Gerezani (Dar es Salaam), Wami (Coast Region), Kitengule (Kagera), Kiyegeya (Morogoro), Ruaha (Morogoro), Ruhuhu (Ruvuma), Mpwap