President Samia Suluhu Hassan presided over the inauguration ceremony, marking the completion of a project that began under the leadership of her predecessor, the late President John Pombe Magufuli.
The bridge includes a 1.66-kilometre connecting road, designed to ease transport across a region long dependent on ferries.
Among the guests at the ceremony was former First Lady Janeth Magufuli, widow of the late president. The bridge was renamed in Magufuli's honour, recognising his role in initiating the project in February 2020 as part of a broader infrastructure development agenda.
At the time of Magufuli's death on March 17, 2021, the bridge was just under 25 percent complete. President Samia pledged continuity and accelerated its progress, overseeing its completion ahead of the original December 2024 target. According to Minister of Works Abdallah Ulega, only 20 percent of the bridge had been built when President Samia took office.
'This is a landmark projectâ€"a three-kilometre bridge unlike any other in East and Central Africa,' Ulega said during a budget debate in Parliament in April. 'Its completion is a national achievement, and today the nation celebrates.'
Built at a cost of $300 million, the bridge replaces the Kigongoâ€"Busisi ferry route, long criticised for inefficiency and vulnerability to weather disruptions. The new permanent connection is expected to significantly reduce travel time, enhance economic activity in the Lake Zone, and improve access to essential services.
With the JP Magufuli Bridge now open, Tanzania strengthens its regional transport infrastructure and positions itself as a growing hub for trade and connectivity in the Great Lakes region.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/tanzania-inaugurates-east-africa-s-longest-bridge
