On June 19, Tanzanian President Samia Hassan held an opening ceremony for the 3.2km-long JP Magufuli Bridge. The bridge is said to be the longest bridge of its kind in East and Central Africa, and the sixth longest on the African continent.
The low pylon cable-stayed bridge starts in the Kigongo sub-region, crosses Lake Victoria’s Mwanza Bay to the Busisi sub-region, and connects to the 90km Usagala-Sengerema-Geita highway. The bridge will be an important link between the Mwanza region and western Tanzania, as well as neighboring countries Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda.
The project was implemented by a team from China Civil Engineering Construction General Corporation and China Railway 15 Bureau Group Corporation, and work began in February 2020. It cost Sh718 billion (US$266.4 million) and was fully financed by the government.
President Hassan said the bridge would stimulate the economy of the Great Lakes region and connect Tanzania with neighboring countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The bridge will replace ferries as the primary means of crossing Lake Victoria, improving safety and accommodating significantly increased traffic.
The JP Magufuli Bridge is free and includes two 7-meter one-way carriageways, a 2.5-meter wide pedestrian path on each side, an emergency lane, and a 520-meter cable-stayed central span. The project included the construction of a 1.2 km approach road on the Kigongo side and 500 meters on the Busisi side.
The bridge’s design speed is 120km/h, reducing crossing time from three hours by ferry to just three minutes by car. With the capacity to transport 12,000 vehicles and 160 tonnes per day, it is expected to increase fish exports by 12% over five years, as well as improve access to key mining, agricultural and tourism areas.
To further ease congestion on this route, the Tanzanian government plans to begin widening the four-lane road from Mwanza via Ngezi and Usagala to Busisi on the JP Magufuli Bridge.
Abdallah Urega, Minister of Works, said: “The Kigongo Busisi Bridge is a key part of connecting strategic infrastructure that will facilitate the transport of goods through modern railways and local roads in the SGR, thereby increasing the productivity of investments and boosting the economy.”
JP Magufuli Bridge is named after former Tanzanian President John Magufuli, who passed away in 2021.
More than 34,800 Tanzanians were employed during construction, including more than 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 and bridge maintenance.
On-site training programs for university students and young engineers were also held through the Structured Engineers Apprenticeship Program (SEAP), contributing to long-term local capacity building.
🌉 5 years of dedication. A bridge towering over the center of Africa. JP Magufuli Bridge is a symbol of teamwork and common vision between China and Tanzania.
📹 Watch the video and feel the power behind every beam! #BridgingTanzania pic.twitter.com/KVyEZdnArA— China Railway Construction General Corporation (@CRCCNews) June 22, 2025
Photo: JP Magufuli Bridge (Source: Tanzania Ministry of Works)
