Africa’s new £2bn bridge that will be the continent’s longest spanning 31 miles

in East Africa is about to build the largest bridge in  The bridge will span 31 miles and connect the country’s mainland to the beautiful  islands. The plans for the bridge hope to boost the country’s economy through an increase in trade and tourism, especially to the islands.

The bridge will connect one of Tanzania’s largest cities, Dar es Salaam, to the archipelago located in the Indian Ocean, between 16 and 31 miles off the coast of the African mainland.

Zanzibar is a popular renowned for its beautiful beaches and historical sites. It is made up of both small islands and two large islands, Pemba Island and Unguja, known as Zanzibar.

Tourism in the islands is Zanzibar’s main source of income. Last year, it welcomed over 638,000 tourists, many of whom flew into Dar es Salaam’s Julius Nyerere International Airport before taking a ferry to the islands. 

In May 2023, Tanzania’s deputy minister of Works and Transport, Godfrey Kasekenya, announced that the China Overseas Engineering Group Company (COVEC) had expressed an interest in collaborating on the £2 billion project and being involved in discussions with stakeholders on both sides of the proposed bridge.

Although the idea for the bridge was born in 2020, and negotiations began in the spring of 2023, the project has made little progress due to financial issues. 

However, according to  the project is expected to involve a partnership with the private sector to help with the cost of construction. 

It was also reported that the Tanzanian president, Samia Suluhu Hassan, will prioritise boosting trade with the continent and taking advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTFA) agreement.

Tanzania recently opened the longest bridge in East Africa, spanning 3.2 kilometres. The Magufuli Bridge crosses Lake Victoria, one of Africa’s greatest lakes, and connects Tanzania to Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi.

The country is also building a rail link to Burundi through the . The total cost of the Standard Gauge Railway project is reported to be nearly £3.1 billion, with the African Development Bank Group contributing £557 million. 

A section between Das er Salaam and Tanzania’s capital, Dodoma, has already been built, but it is expected to take a few more years before reaching Burundi.