Professor Makame Mbarawa, the Minister of Works and Transport in Tanzania, recently broke ground on third phase construction of the 256-kilometer Tanga-Pangani-Saadani- Makurunge-Bagamoyo Highway project, which is part of the East African Community (EAC) Road Infrastructure Project that runs from Malindi to Mombasa, then to Tanga, Pangani, Saadani, and Bagamoyo.
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The first phase of the Tanga-Pangani-Saadani- Makurunge-Bagamoyo Highway Project involved the construction of the 55-kilometer Horohoro-Tanga road with a US grant, while the second phase involved the construction of the 50-kilometer Tanga-Pangani segment using local money.
According to Rogatus Matilija, Chief Executive Officer of Tanzania National Roads Agency (TANROADS), the third phase entails the construction of a 525-meter bridge across the Pangani River in Pangani Town, as well as the construction of a 120-kilometer road from Tungamaa to Mkwaja to Mkange in the Coast Region.
The African Development Bank through the African Development Fund (AfDB) is funding the road to Kipumbwi seaside community. Prof Mbarawa commended the AfDB for its financial support, stating that the bank has been a partner for the last 50 years and is presently sponsoring projects totaling 2.2 trillion francs in various regions of the nation.
Requests ahead of the Tanga-Pangani-Saadani Highway Project
The Minister of Works and Transport in Tanzania urged various organizations that would be required to remove water or electrical infrastructure to make room for the construction to do so as soon as possible so that the project could be finished on schedule.
Tanga Regional Commissioner Adam Malima on the other hand requested that the government and the East African Community consider connecting the Kwamsisi area where the road passes to Mkata on the Segera – Chalinze section of the Tanga/Arusha/Dar es Salaam Highway to strengthen connectivity, which is the main theme behind the EAC’s construction of the road. Malima stated that the road’s building will significantly influence the growth of tourism in the Saadani National Park, which he stated had a lot to offer that was unique to other parks.
His Coast Region colleague, Abubakr Kunenge, also requested that the government consider building a Tarmac level road between Makurunge and Mlandizi to complete the route’s connection with the Dar-Moro Highway.
