(ECNS) -- The JP Magufuli Bridge, Africa's longest low-tower cable-stayed span, officially opened to traffic on Thursday, according to the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), a subsidiary of China Railway Construction Corporation.
Jointly undertaken by CCECC and China Railway 15th Bureau Group, the Bridge spans 4.66 kilometers and features a four-lane dual carriageway designed for speeds up to 120 kilometers per hour. Its centerpiece is a 520-meter, three-tower cable-stayed span constructed from 123 segments using cantilever casting techniques.
The bridge links the towns of Kigongo and Busisi in the Mwanza Region, reducing travel time from over two hours via detour or 40 minutes by ferry to approximately five minutes. This drastically lowers cross-lake transport costs by 10% to 15%. As a strategic transport hub, the bridge is expected to boost surrounding industries including agriculture, tourism, and commerce, benefiting over one million residents around Lake Victoria.
Emphasizing local workforce development and industrial capacity building, the project has maintained a local employment rate of nearly 95%, generated around 3,000 jobs, and trained over 1,500 skilled technical workers, addressing local talent shortages in infrastructure sectors.
(By Zhao Li)
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