Tanzania’s President Samia Hassan on 19 June inaugurated the 3.2km JP Magufuli bridge, said to be the longest of its kind in East and Central Africa as well as the sixth-longest on the continent.

The low-pylon cable-stayed bridge begins in the Kigongo subregion and crosses the Mwanza Gulf on Lake Victoria to the Busisi subregion, connecting to the 90km Usagara-Sengerema-Geita highway. It is set to become an important link between the Mwanza region and the western areas of Tanzania as well as the neighbouring countries of Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda.

The project was executed by a team of China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation and China Railway 15 Bureau Group Corporation, which began work in February 2020. It was fully financed by the government at a cost of Tanzanian shilling 718 billion (US$266.4 million).

President Hassan said the bridge would stimulate the economy of the Great Lakes region and connect Tanzania with neighbouring countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The bridge will replace ferries as the main means of crossing Lake Victoria, improving safety and accommodating significantly larger traffic volumes.

The JP Magufuli bridge is toll-free and includes two 7-metre dual carriageways, 2.5-metre-wide pedestrian paths on each side, emergency lanes and a 520-metre cable-stayed central span. The project included the construction of 1.2km of approach roads on the Kigongo side and 500 metres on the Busisi side.

The bridge has a design speed of 120 km/h and will reduce crossing times from three hours by ferry to just three minutes by car. It can handle 12,000 vehicles and 160 tonnes a day, and is expected to increase fish exports by 12% over five years as well as improve access to key mining, agriculture and tourism regions.

In a bid to further ease congestion on the route, the Tanzanian government is planning to start work on expanding the four-lane road from Mwanza via Nyegezi and Usagara to Busisi on the JP Magufuli bridge.

“The Kigongo-Busisi bridge is an important part of connecting strategic infrastructure that facilitates the transportation of goods via the SGR modern railway and regional roads, thereby increasing investment productivity and boosting the economy,” said Minister of Works Abdallah Ulega.

The JP Magufuli bridge is named after former president of Tanzania John Magufuli who died in 2021.

More than 34,800 Tanzanians were employed during construction, including over 20,000 skilled workers. The project also supported nine local subcontractors and 16 Tanzanian manufacturers and suppliers. Skills developed during construction ranged from cable-stay installation and concrete engineering to carpentry, welding, safety assurance and bridge maintenance.

On-site training programmes were also held for university students and young engineers through the Structured Engineers Apprenticeship Programme (SEAP), helping to build long-term local capacity.

🌉 Five years of dedication. One bridge rising across Africa’s heart. The JP Magufuli Bridge is a symbol of China-#Tanzania teamwork and shared vision.
📹 Watch the video and feel the power behind every beam!#BridgingTanzania pic.twitter.com/KVyEZdnArA

— China Railway Construction Corporation (@CRCCNews) June 22, 2025

Photo: JP Magufuli bridge (Source: Tanzania Ministry of Works)