The Head of State of the East Africa Community (EAC) launches the 42.4 km Arusha Bypass Road in Tanzania. The bypass is part of the multinational Arusha-Holili/Taveta-Voi Road project that connects Tanzania & Kenya. The African Development Fund finances the project with $112 million for Tanzania and $105 million for Kenya. The $217 million is geared towards reducing traffic in the Arusha & Moshi towns, encouraging intra-regional trade, and simplifying transportation between Tanzania, Kenya, and the EAC. The Arusha Bypass Road aligns with the World Bank’s High 5 priorities, particularly “”Integrate Africa”” and “”Improving Africans’ Quality of Life.””
On the Tanzanian side, the project also includes the dualling of the Sakina-Tengeru section (14.1km) and constructing two roadside amenities at Tengeru, one on each side of the dual carriageway. On the Kenyan side, the project entailed upgrading the Mwatate-Taveta section (89 kilometers), building the Taveta Bypass (12 kilometers), and constructing two roadside amenities at Bura and Maktau along the Mwatate-Taveta road. The Bank’s current investment in East Africa totals $14.1 billion, with transportation accounting for 32% of the total. The Bank’s assets assist in the movement of goods, services, and people, promoting intra-regional trade, and improving access to global markets.
