The African Development Bank (AfDB) has agreed to give the East African Community US$223.5m for a regional road project. The road project is to cover the rehabilitation of the Taveta to Voi road in Kenya, to create another road linking the Port of Mombasa with the Northern Tanzania and landlocked countries of Rwanda, Burundi, DRC and Uganda, providing an alternative route to the sea.
Tanzania has indicated that it will use part of the funds allocated to the project to upgrade the 14.1kms Sakina -Tengeru Road to dual carriageway status, and also to pay for the construction of the 42.4km Arusha Bypass Road under the works contract.
The project is aimed at reducing the transportation costs and increasing access to agricultural inputs, larger markets and social services within the East African Community (EAC).
The Tanzania National Roads Agency (TANROADS) Arusha Regional Manager, Eng. Deusdedit Kakoko said that the project is expected to address the issues of traffic congestion and accommodate the increasing number of vehicles in the city.
The Arusha-Usa River Road will be rehabilitated to pave way for the construction of the four-lane Arusha by-pass highway from the Sakina area in Arusha’s CBD. The road is going to be expanded to a four lane up to Tengeru, and later cover 56.6km up to Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) road junction.
The EAC is on a mission to enhance the state of regional transport infrastructure to support economic and social development programs in the region.
