TAZARA FLYOVER EXECUTION THRILLS PREMIER MAJALIWA

Prime Minister, Kasim Majaliwa speaks to reporters upon completion of his inspection tour of the Multi-billion TAZARA Flyover in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday. Second left is Minister of Works, Transport and Communications, Engineer Isack Kamwelwe, Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner, Paul Makonda and Japanese Ambassador to Tanzania, Masahara Yoshida. 

Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa on Wednesday toured the construction works on Tazara Flyover, expressing approval on the progress of project whose construction has reached 98 percent.

The premier said the project is advancing well and President John Magufuli is expected to officially launch it in October this year. Mr Majaliwa appreciated the project executors, saying the construction works had observed all the required standards.

He asked the contractor to complete the remaining two percent within the given deadline. The country’s historic flyover in the commercial capital is constructed, thanks to a 4.847 billion Yen (over 92bn/-) grant from the Japanese government through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The Tanzanian government has injected in the project 8.46bn/-. The flyover is expected to be named after Tanzania Roads Agency (TANROADS) Chief Executive Officer, Engineer Patrick Mfugale as per President Magufuli’s directive when launching the 384-metre bridge in Kilombero last May.

The president gave the directive in recognition of the steadfast contribution and expertise of Eng Mfugale in supervising and personally taking part in designing road and bridge projects in many parts of the country.

He instructed the Minister for Works to ensure the country’s first and historic flyover was named after Eng Mfugale.

Speaking at the construction site, the Prime Minister said upon completion, the flyover will enable passengers using Nyerere road to the airport or City Centre to cross the intersection quickly without waiting for traffic lights and that they will spend less time of up to 10 minutes to reach to their last destination.

Mr Majaliwa said the completion of TAZARA Flyover project was part of implementation of major projects currently undertaken in the country to ensure that all citizens were benefiting.

During his tour, the premier was accompanied by JICA Chief Representative in the country Toshio Nagase. Just down between the two Flyover blocks is a space that the Premier said will be used for another phase of the construction of the Bus Rapid Transit BRT) from the City Centre to Pugu.

The project is in line with Tanzania’s Five Year Development Plan (FYDP, 2016-2021), which has identified infrastructure as the key catalyst of economic transformation through industrialisation and human development.

From Tazara, Mr Majaliwa visited and received a progress report of the ongoing Ubungo interchange project where he directed the Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner (RC), Paul Makonda to allocate space for vendors conducting businesses around the construction area and pave way for the contractor to discharge his duties smoothly.

China Civil Engineering Corporation (CCEC) is executing the Ubungo project, which is scheduled for completion by June 2020, according to Eng Mfugale.

He said the project is executed through a 450 million US dollar (over 1tri/-) loan from the World Bank and already the government has disbursed 42.4bn/- to the contractor.

Daily News