Tanzania has this week completed construction of East Africa’s longest bridge built across the gulf of Mwanza.
The new bridge, reported to be the longest in East Africa, forms part of the Tanzanian Trunk Road T4, which runs along Lake Victoria, connecting Tarime at the Kenyan border to Bukoba at the Ugandan border.
The magnificent Chinese built 3.2-kilometre bridge will cut travel time in the area from 2 hours to just 4 minutes, and is scheduled to be inaugurated before the end of the year by Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
The project would have been completed in July 2023, but construction was delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic that particularly hit China. The Chinese-built mega infrastructure has been handled by China Civil Engineering Construction Group (CCECG) and China Railway.
Originally known as the Kigongo-Busisi Bridge, it was renamed JP Magufuli Bridge in honour of Tanzania’s former president John Pombe Joseph Magufuli. The bridge was entirely financed by the government of Tanzania through its own revenues, in true Magufuli tradition.
The People’s Daily, the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), said construction of the bridge was completed on October 6.
“As the last tank of cement was poured on Sunday, the construction of the Magufuli Bridge was completed by two Chinese companies in Tanzania’s northwestern Mwanza region,” the People’s Daily said in an online post.
“The Magufuli Bridge is the only extra-dosed cable-stayed bridge in the Lake Victoria region and the longest of its kind in Africa.”
The People’s Daily added that the bridge connects Misungwi and Sengerema districts and provides a crucial link between Tanzania and neighbouring countries of Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda.
The primary goal of the Kigongo-Busisi Bridge is to improve connectivity between Mwanza and Geita regions. By providing a direct link over Lake Victoria, it aims to reduce travel time and transportation costs, promoting smoother movement of people and goods.
The bridge is part of a broader infrastructure initiative that includes the MV ‘Hapa Kazi Tu’ ship, also nearing completion and the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), specifically the Mwanza-Isaka section, which is 60 per cent complete.
It will drastically reduce travel time between Kigongo and Busisi from over 30 minutes by ferry to less than four minutes by car.
Before the bridge’s construction, the only link between Kigongo and Busisi was via ferry, resulting in lengthy travel times and delays.
The bridge project has created over 1,500 jobs, with a significant portion filled by Tanzanians, contributing to capacity building and economic development in the region. Once completed, the bridge will not only improve local transportation but also serve as a crucial link between Tanzania and neighboring countries like Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda, fostering regional integration and economic prosperity
The Magufuli Bridge is the only extra-dosed cable-stayed bridge in the Lake Victoria region and the longest of its kind in Africa.
These projects align with the Tanzania Development Vision 2025 (TDV 2025), emphasising improved accessibility and infrastructure across the country. The ongoing work reflects the government’s commitment to accelerating development as outlined in the ruling party CCM Election Manifesto 2020-2025.