Upgrade of Morogoro Road to get underway next month

Dar es Salaam. Expansion of the Kimara-Kiluvya section of Morogoro Road is expected to start any time next month, thanks to completion of demolition of structures, which were erected on the road reserve.

The construction is meant to expand the highway to six lanes on the 16-kilometre stretch between Kiluvya and the Bus Rapid Transit Terminal at Kimara from the current two lanes, the Tanzania National Roads Agency (Tanroads) said yesterday.

“The main goal is to reduce traffic jams on this road which serves more than 35,000 cars out of which 40 per cent are trucks, which convey goods from Port of Dar es Salaam to landlocked countries,” the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communication Mr Joseph Nyamhanga said yesterday.

He said the government has already allocated Sh38 billion for the project.

Speaking during his tour of the project site in Dar es Salaam, he said the government was only waiting for the signing of a contract with Tanroads before it hands over the money to the latter.

“We will hand over the money to Tanroads after seeing their procurement document that shows the amount needed in the project, but the government has already set aside Sh38 billion,” he said. The funds for the project, he said, will be sourced by the government by 100 per cent.

The Tanroads manager for Dar es Salaam region, Mr Julius Ndyamukama said the total cost for the project will be determined after they decide on what pavement design will be applied.

“Costs of the project will be announced after the contractor, who won the tender, submits his procurement document that shows the design and how much would be needed,” he said.

According to him the procurement and design processes will be completed in February this year but in the very same month (February), Tanroads will be continuing with the constructing divergent lanes/service roads that will be used by vehicles when actual construction starts.

So far service road from Kimara to Kongoro (5.2km) has been completed while construction for Korongo to Kibamba (6.5km) and Kibamba to Kiluvya sections are ongoing.

According to Mr Ndyamukama the construction will take at least 36 months of its completion.

“We began with Phase One of the project whereby about 1183 buildings, including residential and commercial houses, churches and mosques have been demolished, paving the way for the expansion of the road,” he added.