The Rural and Urban Roads Agency (TARURA) has made significant strides in improving the accessibility of district road infrastructure, covering a total of 144,429.77 kilometers.
The progress now stands at 55 percent, with a target to reach 60 percent by June 2025.
This achievement is largely driven by a substantial budget increase from TZS 275 billion to TZS 870.3 billion, reflecting a 216 percent rise between the 2021/2022 and 2024/2025 financial years.
Speaking today in Dar es Salaam during a seminar organized for media editors, TARURA’s Chief Executive Officer’s representative, who also serves as the Dar es Salaam Regional Manager, Engineer Geofrey Mkinga, highlighted the agency’s progress.
“The paved road network has expanded from 2,025.69 km to 3,337.66 km, while gravel roads have increased from 27,809.26 km to 42,059.17 km.
At the same time, earth roads have been reduced from 112,317.20 km to 99,032.93 km. Additionally, 3,195 bridges and 75,620 culverts have been constructed,” Engineer Mkinga stated.
He further explained that TARURA has been adopting innovative road construction technologies, including cobblestone roads and stone arch bridges, to enhance durability, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability.
“Utilizing locally available materials such as stones in road and bridge construction improves efficiency, reduces costs, saves time, and minimizes environmental impact,” he noted.
The agency’s focus on alternative technologies and sustainable materials has led to cost reductions of over 50 percent.
Engineer Mkinga emphasized that TARURA prioritizes the use of materials available within project areas to lower construction expenses.
Additionally, TARURA continues to explore and implement advanced road construction technologies, such as ECOROADS, Ecozyme, and GeoPolymer, to optimize costs, speed up project completion, and enhance environmental conservation.
According to Engineer Mkinga, 350 stone bridges have been constructed, leading to cost savings of TZS 10 billion.
Furthermore, pilot projects covering 7.95 km have been completed, while an additional 53.76 km are in various stages of implementation and quality monitoring.
“These achievements reflect the commitment of the Sixth Phase Government to improving district road infrastructure. With rural agricultural areas becoming accessible year-round, agricultural productivity is set to increase, thereby fostering economic growth and reducing poverty,” he concluded.