All is set for Dar’s Jangwani Bridge as government gets funding
What you need to know:
- The Jangwani Bridge is expected to lessen the burden motorists and pedestrians alike faced during commute
Dar es Salaam. The Tanzania National Roads Agency (Tanroads) said yesterday that it will follow a ‘complete street approach’ in putting up the Jangwani Bridge in an effort to ensure that the facility safely accommodates all users.
The Tanroads’ chief executive officer, Mr Rogatus Mativila, said in Dar es Salaam yesterday that the design of the bridge will include non-motorized transport, with dedicated lanes for the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), mixed traffic lanes, a cycling path, a green zone, a walkway, and a hard shoulder.
He was speaking during the signing of a $200 million (Sh463.98 billion) loan agreement between the government—through the Ministry of Finance—and the World Bank (WB) to implement the Msimbazi Basin Project.
“The Jangwani Bridge and adjacent BRT Bus Depot have become increasingly prone to flooding due to sedimentation and waste that clog the bridge and result in flash floods that shut down the transit system and damage the BRT buses,” he said.
As such, he added, “bridge design and scope of proposed construction phase dredging were carefully considered based on hydrodynamic modeling results to analyse flood hazards, river bathymetry, a digital elevation model of the lower Msimbazi River Basin, and satellite imagery, including vegetation and sedimentation patterns.”
According to the Tanroads boss, the agency would require $63.3 million to cover construction supervision costs.
In recent reports, the Tanzania Rural and Urban Roads Agency (Tarura) director general, Victor Seif, once said that the study and design for the project are expected to be completed by December this year.
Aside from the Msimbazi Basin Project, the minister of finance, Dr Mwigulu Nchemba, and the World Bank’s country director, Mr Nathan Belete, signed a $341 million (Sh791.09 billion) financing agreement for the Tanzania Rural Electrification Expansion Programme yesterday.
Finance minister Dr Mwigulu Nchemba, exchanges agreement documents with the World Bank country director, Nathan Belete. Looking on is Energy minister, January Makamba. PHOTO | COURTESY
The funds account for a $335 million (equivalent to Sh777.17 billion) concessional loan from the International Development Association (IDA) and a grant amounting to $6 million (equivalent to Sh13.92 billion) from the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP) of the World Bank.
The minister said, “This fund is going to complement efforts in increasing access to electricity in rural areas, including by continuing expansion of rural access to electricity, grid extension, and densification; enhancing the supply of renewable electricity in rural areas; and strengthening the capacity of the sector to deliver the national rural electrification program.”
Apart from being part of the national development plans, Dr Nchemba said the signing of these funds align with the 6th phase government agenda for economic prosperity.
“An agenda that seeks to build a competitive and industrial economy for human development, with a broad agenda that prioritizes, among other things, electrifying rural areas of the country through an electrification program in all villages,” he said.
WB’s Mr Belete said the prospects for Tanzania’s economy remain good despite global challenges, especially with the country’s current investment policies.
“We encourage the government to maintain the same discipline and create a more investment-friendly environment and policies,” he said.
