CONSTRUCTION of the long-awaited Jangwani Bridge has officially begun, offering renewed hope to Dar es Salaam residents and commuters who have long endured transportation challenges along the Morogoro Road corridor.
The project, a major component of the Msimbazi River Basin Development Programme, has now reached a critical milestone, signaling progress in efforts to ease traffic congestion and improve mobility in one of the city’s busiest routes.
A resident of Kinondoni, Mr Amon Mjaka expressed optimism, saying the development would bring significant relief, especially to those who rely on Morogoro Road for daily transport. “The construction in this area will help reduce the heavy traffic jams we’ve dealt with for years. It is a big relief,” he said. Mr Ibrahim Juma, a resident of Mkwajuni, echoed similar sentiments. “We have often seen vehicles stuck for hours during rains. Even a short downpour would bring everything to a halt. Now, we see hope for real change,”he noted.
However, he urged the authorities to ensure the project is implemented to international standards, prioritising safety and durability to prevent potential disasters in the future.
The Jangwani area is notoriously flood-prone, especially during the rainy season, often rendering Morogoro Road and the existing Jangwani Bridge impassable, causing severe traffic disruptions.
Now underway, the new Jangwani Bridge is designed to address this issue permanently. The plan includes a 390-metre-long bridge, rising 15.5 metres above sea level, and a 700-metre access road, ensuring resilience against floods and other extreme weather conditions.
According to the Project Engineer, Peter Benda the work is progressing steadily.
“We have already started building a bypass road to facilitate construction. It will serve as an alternative route between Magomeni Mapipa and the Fire area,” Eng Benda explained.
He added that construction is still in the early stages on the Kigogo side, where progress has reached 30 per cent, while the flyover bridge from Magomeni to Fire is also in its initial development phase.
The entire Jangwani Bridge project is part of the Msimbazi River Basin Development Initiative, funded by the World Bank with a total budget of 200 million US dollars (about 545bn/-).
In November 2023, President Samia Suluhu Hassan ordered the redesign of the bridge to ensure a long-term solution to the flooding problem. Following her directive, government ministries and the World Bank held a joint meeting on November 16 to evaluate the new design’s effectiveness in mitigating flood risks in the area.
Currently, Morogoro Road crosses the Msimbazi River via a three-span, 47-metre bridge, which has proven inadequate due to rapid sediment build-up in the Jangwani Valley. This has reduced its capacity to handle flash floods, leading to frequent road closures and gridlocks.
The Tanzania National Roads Agency (TANROADS) Chief Executive Engineer Mohamed Besta confirmed that the feasibility study and bridge design were conducted by CDR International BV in collaboration with Deltares of the Netherlands and Wema Consultant from Tanzania.
The design phase was supported by the World Bank through the Dar es Salaam Urban Transport Project, with funding amounting to 905,123.95 US dollars (about 2.4bn/-).
With construction now underway, residents and stakeholders remain hopeful that the new infrastructure will not only transform the city’s landscape but also deliver lasting solutions to Dar es Salaam’s chronic flooding and traffic congestion problems.
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