The Tanzanian government will receive a US$200 million loan from the World Bank to implement the Dodoma Integrated Sustainable Transport (DIST) project in the country’s capital.
The plan is expected to improve urban mobility in Dodoma through upgrades of selected corridors, resilient access routes, improvements to the central business district (CBD), and enhanced walking and cycling infrastructure.
Dodoma’s population has been rapidly increasing since the government renewed its decision in 2016 to move the capital from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma in 1973. Since then, the city has undergone significant capital investment and the relocation of government agencies and departments, meaning that population growth has rapidly outpaced its physical area, with the city’s built-up area expanding by more than 440% since 2000, from 11 square kilometers to 60 square kilometers by 2024.
As a result of the dramatic increase in urban area and increased flood risk due to climate change, more than 80% of the city’s roads are unpaved, leaving many of the city’s residents without reliable transportation access. Furthermore, 10.5% of Dodoma’s road network is predicted to be vulnerable to future flooding, and a major disaster in some areas could reduce access to education, healthcare, and government facilities by up to 90%.
The DIST project therefore aims to address the critical transport challenges facing cities while supporting long-term sustainable development.
Specifically, the plan targets the infrastructure development of the following roads that are part of intermodal transportation:
The 32km road from Kimbiniko Roundabout to Chamwino Town Junction – this is the busiest road in the city, connecting the CBD with major demand centers to the east, including parliament and government offices, major commercial centers and markets, intercity bus terminals, and rapidly developing residential areas. The road is part of the 260km Morogoro-Dodoma Highway (T003), which connects the port of Dar es Salaam with the northwestern and central regions and the neighboring landlocked countries of Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
On December 3, 2024, contractors were invited to express interest in a design-build contract to upgrade the roadway to a six-lane and four-lane dual-lane asphalt standard, with the existing single-carriageway road set aside for future public transit rapid transit solutions, including bus rapid transit (BRT). The deadline is December 31, 2024, and the request for proposals is expected to be published in February 2025. The contract period is set at 36 months and the defect notification period is set at 18 months.
Previously, consultants were invited to express their interest in providing design, construction supervision and construction management services for road works by 19 November 2024, with a deadline of 10 December 2024. The contract period is 54 months, of which 36 months are for construction supervision and 18 months are for defect supervision during the defect notification period.
Source: Terms of Reference Document
10km Bahi Roundabout-Musarat Airport Junction Road (part of the Dodoma-Arusha Main Road) – The second busiest road in Dodoma, this section connects the CBD north towards Arusha and provides access to the under-construction Musarrat International Airport. Completion is scheduled for December 2026. 7km Image Roundabout-Mukonze Bus Stand Road (part of the Dodoma-Iringa Main Road) – This route covers the central area of the newly opened Dodoma Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) terminal and Mukonze Bus Station. This work will address the growing demand from the south and the need to improve the interconnectivity of Dodoma’s transport infrastructure and enhance the smooth movement of passengers between the SGR terminal and the rapidly developing areas surrounding it.
In addition, the DIST plan will fund improvements to 4.8km of major roads in the central business district, including Mpuwapwa Road from the Bunge area through Chako Ni Chako to the Masinga complex, and the link from Kimbiniko roundabout through Giamatini to Koo Street and the airport roundabout. Works include improvements to walking and cycling infrastructure, drainage, street lighting and traffic management.
In addition, selected access roads were identified as requiring improvement through a complete street approach, including surface upgrades to pavement standards, sidewalks, cycleways, drainage and street lighting improvements, and a Daladara stop.
The project also aims to increase the prevalence of walking as a mode of transportation and strengthen Dodoma’s aspirations for a sustainable city by adding approximately 60km of pedestrian and bicycle paths to existing roads and dirt paths throughout the city.
The main beneficiaries of the project are 430,000 people, representing 56% of the city’s total population, for whom the project’s investments will provide improved mobility and access.
The project will be implemented by the Tanzania National Roads Authority (Tanroads), the Tanzania Rural and Urban Roads Authority (Tarura), the Land Transport Regulation Authority (LATRA) and the Dodoma City Council. It is scheduled to be completed by March 2030.
Source: Project Evaluation Report, February 2025
Top photo: Road construction in Dodoma (Source: Instagram @ Tanroads)
