Tanroads explains change in design of Ubungo interchange

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania National Roads Agency (Tanroads) on Wednesday August 29 defended its decision to change the design for Ubungo interchange, clearing the air over assumptions that it was caused by scarcity of funds.

The agency’s chief executive officer Patrick Mfugale told Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa that the design was changed in accordance with the recommendations tabled by the project contractor, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC).

According to the original design, the project was to have three levels. The bottom lanes were to be used by vehicles on Morogoro Road - from the city centre to Kimara and vice versa. The second lane was to be used by vehicles directed by traffic lights, while the third was for vehicles on the Mandela and Sam Nujoma Roads- expressly without traffic lights.

The new changes include the removal of Level Two to enable vehicles from Kimara to Buguruni and vice versa to use level one just as it is presently.

The Second Level will be used by vehicles on Morogoro road from Kimara direction to the city centre while the use of the Third Level will remain as it was indicated in the original design. All roads will have six lanes, including two for the bus rapid transit. During the tour by Mr Majaliwa at the project site, the Tanroads boss said one of the reasons for the change of design was to ensure safety of the vehicles that would be ramping up the interchange to Buguruni from Kimara direction.

He said the former design would have ended up destroying vehicles that would be taking that route.

“Also, the design was reviewed to remove barriers for pedestrians who would be crossing Morogoro road and rescue them from the risk of getting accidents,’ he said when responding to a question raised by Mr Majaliwa regarding the change of design.

He added that if implemented, the former design would have interrupted the infrastructure for the Dar es Salaam Rapid Bus Transit and its whole system at Ubungo.

Another reason was to enable the smooth movement of vehicles at the site during the construction period.

The new design, Mr Mfugale said, was sent to the World Bank (WB) to get a certificate of No Objection. WB is partly financing the project that is worth Sh177.4 billion.

In April, this year, a quantity surveyor from CCECC, Mr Rweyemamu Gerasius, said there were many challenges with the first design and that it required a much wider area compared to the new one.

He further said that the new one was more cost-effective than the original design that required more people being relocated and compensated because it needed a lot of space.

The new design, the surveyor said, would be completed eight months ahead the contract duration.

The Tanroads CEO gave assurance that the whole project would be completed in June 2020, but it would be preceded by the expansion of the bridge at River Side that is expected to be completed in November 2019.

“The new design is much better than the original one and I’m confident that it will be completed on time,” Mr Mfugale assured the Prime minister.

Upon completion, the interchange will tremendously reduce the time motorists spend on Morogoro, Mandela and Sam Nujoma roads that are notorious for traffic jams in the city.