The Tanzanian Government will invest a total of $16.8m in the construction of a 79.9km-long ring road in Dar es Salaam.

Minister for Works John Magufuli revealed this during a one-day visit to the construction site, where he spoke about the government’s decision to expedite road projects to ease traffic jams.

"The money will be used in constructing to tarmac level all ring roads in the city; we want to see that within three years from now, there is no traffic jam in the city," Magufuli said.

"We want to see that within three years from now, there is no traffic jam in the city."

A total of $1.2m will be used to install road lights from Mwenge to Tegeta along Ali Hassan Mwinyi Road.

The minister also spoke about the stealing of poles, road signs and sewerage chambers at Magomeni Kagera, which postponed the completion of the project’s first phase.

Tanzanian road agency Tanroads chief executive officer Patrick Mfugale said that the contractor had been instructed to complete the work in a week’s time.

People living along the road reserves on the Tegeta-Mbezi section of Bagamoyo Road have been asked by the minister to vacate their houses to pave way for the construction works.

The minister also assured that construction on the flyover at the Tazara junction of Nyerere Road and Mandela Expressway would start in October.

The Dar es Salaam regional commissioner Saidi Mecki Sadiki said that care would be taken to guard the road infrastructure, which would ensure the safety of contractor’s equipment.