The recent collapse of road connectivity between Dar es Salaam and Tanzania’s southern regions has once again spotlighted the fragile state of the country’s infrastructure in the face of worsening climate extremes.
For more than 72 hours, transport along the vital southern corridor was paralyzed after torrential rains in Kilwa District, Lindi Region, washed away key bridges at Somanga-Mtama and Mto Matandu.
The disruption not only stranded travelers and delayed trade but also underscored a deeper issue: Tanzania’s road systems are not keeping pace with climate-related threats.
Although traffic has since resumed thanks to swift emergency work that involved laying down over 100 truckloads of large stones and installing temporary steel culverts the incident exposes the limits of reactive planning.
Significantly, the Mto Matandu bridge had already suffered damage during Cyclone Hidaya in May 2024, yet the failure to fortify it fully before this year’s rainy season suggests critical delays in implementing long-term solutions.
As weather patterns grow more intense and erratic, these infrastructure weaknesses are becoming more than occasional inconveniences they’re ongoing risks to economic stability and public safety.
Minister of Works Abdallah Ulega, during a site visit on April 10, 2025, acknowledged the severity of the situation.
He revealed that the affected roads were never intended to handle today’s load levels, especially the increasingly heavy trucks that ply the Dar–Mtwara route.
To respond, the government has allocated over TSh100 billion to build 11 bridges and 18 culverts across the region.
Among them is the 60-meter Somanga bridge, currently under construction with 26 of its planned 43 support pillars already in place.
Still, the question remains whether this wave of reconstruction will be guided by future-focused engineering or just serve as another temporary fix.
Beyond the technical response, the crisis has drawn strong political attention. CCM’s Ideology and Publicity Secretary, Amos Makalla, who joined Ulega at the site, called for greater discipline and accountability within the Ministry of Works, urging swift action against negligence.
His remarks reflect growing pressure on the government not only to act but to lead with foresight, especially as Tanzania invests heavily in infrastructure to drive industrial growth and regional integration.
But the problem runs deeper than bureaucratic sluggishness. Lindi Regional Commissioner Zainab Telack offered critical insight when she explained that Lindi despite often having less rainfall itself absorbs water from upstream regions, making it especially flood-prone.
This geographic reality calls for a new kind of planning: one that considers water flow dynamics, environmental data, and future climate scenarios.
For everyday Tanzanians, the impact is tangible. Truck drivers like Athumani Zarahani, who was stuck along the route, expressed relief at the restored access but pleaded for faster and more durable infrastructure solutions.
“Even if we’re passing one by one now, it’s better than not passing at all. But we need permanent bridges we transport essential goods through here,” he said.
What this incident reveals is not just a story of roads washed away, but a broader warning about the costs of underestimating nature.
As the country braces for future rains, cyclones, and flooding, the need for climate-resilient infrastructure has never been more urgent. It’s no longer enough to respond to disasters.
Tanzania must invest in smarter, stronger systems that anticipate them turning crisis into opportunity and vulnerability into resilience.