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Minister orders 24-hour works on Wami Bridge
ippmedia.com/en/news/minister-orders-24-hour-works-wami-bridge22. September 2021
22Sep 2021
Correspondent
Dar es Salaam
News
The Guardian
Minister orders 24-hour works on Wami Bridge
WORKS and Transport minister Prof Makame Mbarawa has ordered the contractor for the new Wami Bridge to operate 24 hours for the project to be completed on time.
The key infrastructure project was set for completion and handing over this month, but the work slumbered in the past few months, compelling the minister to direct round the clock, when inspecting the work being carried out by Power Construction Corporation of China.
After listening to reasons given by the contractors and ministry officials for the delays, the minister—who seemed unpleased—ordered that work time be doubled.
He said the construction of the bridge which started in October 2018 was expected to end this month, but has been delayed due to various challenges including what the contractor said were complications occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The minister urged the contractor to ensure the quality of the project, while speeding up the work to observe the November 22 deadline.
The first bridge was constructed in 1959 and no longer has capacity to accommodate large vehicles to northern regions and neighboring countries, with the vast increase in vehicles.
Andrea Kasamwa, the regional manager for the Tanzania National Roads Agency (TanRoads) said the bridge will upon completion cost about 72bn/-.It will be 510 metres long and 11.85 meters, being built some 670 meters distance from the old bridge it is replacing, he said.
Ilshin Co. of South Korea was working with Advanced Engineering Solutions (T)Ltd to supervise the work, he stated, elaborating that the project has so far reached 61 percent after 35 months of work.
The new bridge project involves the construction of two roads 3.82 kilometres on either side of the bridge, joining the new bridge with the Chalinze-Segera highway.
The current bridge over Wami River was constructed by the British in 1959, measuring 88.75 meters in length and riddled with sharp corners, steep slopes and unsafe curves to enter and leave the bridge.An array of accidents occur at the bridge and within its approaches each year, as it has scant room for two big vehicles to pass on different directions at the same time.
Wami Bridge is a key feature in the country’s transport landscape, linking Dar es Salaam with northern regions. The new bridge at Wami will avoid the unsafe curves and steep slopes for safety enhancement, the official added.
