The government has reached an advanced stage in preparation of upgrading the 110km Dar es Salaam-Chalinze Expressway to a six-lane carriage way in an ambitious project aimed at easing traffic on the road leading to the central corridor.

 

The Deputy Minister for Works Mr.

Gerson Lwenge said that the Tanzania National Roads Agency (Tanroads) was on final stages in working on documents of companies that applied to do the job under public private partnership (PPP).

Lwenge said the 110km Dar es Salaam- Chalinze road has been a headache to transporters and has been a cause of unnecessary delays and accidents. But with the implementation of the project to expand the expressway into six lanes will definitely cut down the cost of doing business. Mr. Lwenge added the process of evaluating and assessing contractors' capability in undertaking such a big project is to be carried carefully to ensure high quality road is built reflecting the value for money.

The Tanzania Bus Owners Association (TABOA) Treasurer, Mr. Issa Nkya said the completion of the project will remove unnecessary chaos and losses to transporters that has been time to time been incurred. He, however, called upon the government to find ways of accommodating cargo trucks because they were often the cause of accidents and congestions along the Dar es Salaam-Chalinze expressway.

According to Tanroads, the project works are expected to take three years until completion from the date of commencement. The works entail construction of six lanes to expressway toll road standards with service roads on both sides and grade separated interchangeably.

Furthermore, the access will be fully controlled and height of embankment will be high enough to accommodate frequent underpasses and interchanges while maintaining good vertical profile. The expressway is intended to be operated as toll road hence the works will include provision of toll collection facilities as well as various amenities and facilities to serve the users of the expressway.