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50km bridge to Zanzibar: Tanzania in ‘advanced talks’ with Chinese firm

David Rogers
Seaweed farmers in Zanzibar. If built, the bridge is expected to boost the island’s economy (Yann Macherez/CC BY-SA 4.0)
The Tanzanian government is planning to build a 50km bridge – the longest in Africa – between Dar es Salaam and the island of Zanzibar, Construct Africa reports.

Geofrey Kasekenya, the deputy transport minister, said talks were under way with China Overseas Engineering Group (COEG), a subsidiary of China Railway Group, to construct the bridge.

He said: “We have met with the prospective investors of COEG, and they have shown interest in building the bridge.” He added that talks about the project began in March and were at an advanced stage.

The government has estimated the bridge would cost $2.7bn to construct, and it intends to procure the work through a public-private partnership, with some funding to come from the African Development Bank.

If it goes ahead, the bridge would improve trade, tourism and investment opportunities in Zanzibar and the mainland.

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Comments

  1. It will be wonderful

    Julie June 3, 2023 at 18:08

  2. Brilliant idea But
    Will it not create traffic congestion on the narrow roads of Zanzibar
    Building the bridge from Dar to Zanzibar must include improvement of road infrastructure in Zanzibar to cope with increased traffic on Zanzibar roads and streets

    Mohammed Hadi Marashi June 4, 2023 at 16:15

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