Tanzanite Bridge
Tanzanite Bridge Daraja la Tanzanite (Swahili) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Coordinates | 6°47′31″S 39°17′7″E / 6.79194°S 39.28528°E |
| Carries | 4 lane dual carriageway |
| Crosses | Msimbazi Delta |
| Locale | Dar es Salaam, Tanzania |
| Other name | New Selander Bridge |
| Owner | Government of Tanzania |
| Characteristics | |
| Total length | 1.03 kilometres (0.64 mi) |
| Width | 20.5 metres (67 ft) |
| History | |
| Constructed by | GS Engineering & Construction |
| Opened | 1 February 2022 |
| Location | |
Interactive map of Tanzanite Bridge | |
The Tanzanite Bridge (Swahili: Daraja la Tanzanite), formerly known as the New Selander Bridge (Daraja jipya la Selander),[1] is a hybrid cable-stayed-girder bridge crossing the Msimbazi Delta in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The bridge was conceived to relieve congestion on the original Selander Bridge. Construction on the Tanzanite Bridge began in 2018, carried out by GS Engineering & Construction. It was officially opened on 1 February 2022.
Description
The Tanzanite Bridge connects the neighbourhood of Oyster Bay on the Msasani Peninsula to the city centre or Dar es Salaam, where it joins Barack Obama Drive near the Aga Khan Hospital.[2] The 20.5 m (67 ft) wide bridge carries four lanes of traffic and pedestrian walkways. It has traits of a cable-stayed bridge and a girder bridge, with a designed capacity of 55,000 vehicles per day. It is 1.03 km (0.64 mi) long with a 670 m (2,200 ft) main span. It has 254 foundation piles and 16 bridge piers. Its piers have a maximum spacing of 125 m (410 ft).[3][4]
History
A bridge to relieve congestion on the Selander Bridge was proposed in a 2008 transportation policy master plan jointly created by the Dar es Salaam City Council and the Japan International Cooperation Agency. The construction of such a bridge was included in Chama Cha Mapinduzi's 2015 and 2020 election platforms.[5] The bridge was included alongside a project to widen 5.2 km (3.2 mi) of road.[5][6]
A contract for the construction of the bridge was signed between TANROADS and South Korean company GS Engineering & Construction (GSE) on 23 July 2018.[7] A groundbreaking ceremony was held on 20 December 2018, with then-president John Magufuli laying the foundation stone.[8] The substructure was complete by September 2021, with work on road surfacing, drainage systems, and street lights remaining.[3][9] By 21 December 2021, GSE completed construction works on the bridge, with security infrastructure remaining to be installed.[6][10] The bridge was officially opened on 1 February 2022.[5]
The bridge was constructed at a cost of TSh243 billion (US$120 million), and the full project cost TSh256 billion (US$127 million).[11] TSh216 billion (US$107 million) in funding aid was provided by the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) through a soft loan from Korea Eximbank. It is the largest South Korean-funded development project in Africa.[2][5]
President Samia Suluhu Hassan ordered Minister of Works Makame Mbarawa to remove the original Uhuru torch symbol on 24 March 2022 as part of the Tanzanite Bridge's rebranding.[12] The bridge was closed on 2 January 2023 during the installation of the new tanzanite symbol.[11]
The parliamentary committee on infrastructure recommended instating a toll in March 2023.[13]
Incidents
Two people were arrested for cutting iron bars on the bridge on 2 April 2022. TANROADS installed security cameras on the bridge by May.[14][15]
References
- ↑ "Magufuli afanya ziara ujenzi wa daraja la Selander". Mwananchi (in Swahili). 24 June 2019. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
- 1 2 Taylor, Ben (1 January 2022). "TRANSPORT | Tanzanian Affairs". Archived from the original on 13 May 2026. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
- 1 2 "Magari kupita daraja jipya la Selander Desemba". www.mow.go.tz (in Swahili). 20 September 2021. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
- ↑ Taylor, Ben (1 May 2022). "TRANSPORT | Tanzanian Affairs". Archived from the original on 12 April 2026. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "Why the Tanzanite Bridge was built". The Citizen. 25 March 2022. Archived from the original on 19 June 2024. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
- 1 2 Baek, Byung-yeul (21 December 2021). "GS E&C ups presence in Africa with new bridge - The Korea Times". www.koreatimes.co.kr. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
- ↑ "Work set to begin on new Dar es Salaam bridge". The Citizen. 23 July 2018. Archived from the original on 22 June 2024. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
- ↑ "JPM flags off construction of Sh260bn bridge". The Citizen. 21 December 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
- ↑ "The 'Tanzanite Bridge' to start trial runs in December". 20 September 2021. Archived from the original on 28 October 2021. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
- ↑ "Construction of the Tanzanite Bridge almost complete". The Citizen. 22 December 2021. Archived from the original on 2 April 2023. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
- 1 2 "Tanzanite Bridge rebrands with gemstone symbol". The Citizen. 11 January 2023. Archived from the original on 26 July 2025. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
- ↑ "President Samia orders removal of torch from Tanzanite Bridge". The Citizen. 24 March 2022. Archived from the original on 23 March 2023. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
- ↑ "Parliament committee calls for charges on Tanzanite Bridge". The Citizen. 21 March 2023. Archived from the original on 23 July 2025. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
- ↑ "Why vandalism, destruction of public property must end". The Citizen. 15 May 2022. Archived from the original on 21 May 2022. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
- ↑ "Police holding two for vandalising Tanzanite Bridge". The Citizen. 5 April 2022. Archived from the original on 6 April 2022. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
