Kimara-Kibaha road to begin full-scale operations in November

The newly expanded 19.2-kilometer Kimara-Kibaha road section in Tanzania will be fully used by motorists and other road users starting in November of this year. The 167 billion road project the construction of which began in 2018 is mainly intended to reduce traffic congestion.

Estim Construction carried out the project which was 88 percent complete by August of this year. The contractor had already received 75% of the payment owed for the work that had been completed. It is planned to be done by the end of October this year, in time for the official inauguration.

The project’s undertaking is a part of ongoing government projects to enable easy movement of goods and services as well as to reduce traffic on the highways that connect various geographic areas. It is also a part of the ruling party CCM‘s 2020–2025 election platform. Additionally, the government’s budget for the current financial year 2022–2023 included it.

The Kimara-Kibaha road project’s completion, in addition to beautifying the region of Dar es Salaam, especially the Ubungo District, also allows for people to move to Tanzania’s commercial city.

During a recent site visit, the deputy minister for works and transport, Eng. Godfrey Kasekenya assigned the contractor the job of ensuring the project is completed by the end of October so that road users can make full use of the newly expanded eight lanes.

There were additional tasks to be carried out once the initial work, which included constructing the six new lanes, culverts, and bridge, was completed.

The Kimara-Kibaha road project’s total cost

The project’s timeframe was extended and its cost rose to 218 billion, according to the deputy minister.

He said that they appreciate President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s approval of an additional 51 billion to fund the project’s expansion. The deputy minister added that they have ensured that construction is completed by the end of October this year.

He said that the additional work was driven on by the beginning of the Magufuli Bus Terminal construction, which needed the construction of a feeder road connecting it to the Morogoro road.

He said that it was also necessary to build a pedestrian bridge to connect the Mbezi Mwisho bus stop, where the city’s commuter buses stop, with the Magufuli Bus Terminal.

The government plans to spend $2 billion on the expansion of the Kimara-Kibaha road as well as the Kibamba, Kiluvya, and Mpiji bridges in the financial years 2022–2023, according to Prof. Makame Mbarawa, the minister of works and transport, who made the announcement in Parliament in May of this year.

The resident engineer of the Tanzania National Roads Agency (Tanroads), Eng Mwanaisha Rajabu, commended the project’s progress and stated that the expansion was done at a high standard.

According to her, additional work included installing security lights, traffic lights at nine junctions along the 19.2 kilometers, and a bus stand at Mbezi Luguruni.

SOURCE: CONSTRUCTION REVIEW