Mkapa Bridge

Mkapa Bridge Daraja la Mkapa  (Swahili)
Coordinates	8°0′46″S 38°58′10″E / 8.01278°S 38.96944°ECoordinates: 8°0′46″S 38°58′10″E / 8.01278°S 38.96944°E
Carries	B2 road (2 lanes)
Crosses	Rufiji River
Locale	Ikwiriri, Tanzania
Other name(s)	Rufiji Bridge
Owner	Government of Tanzania
Characteristics
Total length	970 metres (3,180 ft)
History
Designer	H. P. Gauff Ingenieure GmbH & Co (Germany)
Constructed by	Impresa Ing. Fortunato Federici S.p.A. (Italy)
Construction cost	US$ 30 million
Inaugurated	2 August 2003

Mkapa Bridge is the longest bridge in Tanzania across the Rufiji River. It was financed through a US$ 30 million loan from the Kuwait Fund, OPEC and the Government of Saudi Arabia.^[1]

At inauguration in 2003, it was amongst the longest road bridges in east and southern Africa.^[2] The construction of the bridge has helped immensely in connecting the southern regions to other important areas of the country.^[3] It is named after Benjamin Mkapa, the third President of Tanzania.

References

1. "Rufiji Bridge to Open Up Southern Tanzania". The EastAfrican. 11 August 2003. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
2. "Forests and timber trade in southeast Tanzania: What will be the legacy of Mkapa Bridge?" (PDF). The Arc Journal. 11 March 2004. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
3. "Participatory Appraisal for Sustainable Livelihood Framework for Rufiji Climate Change Adaptation Analysis" (PDF). Page 6, The Netherlands Climate Assistance Programme. October 2005. Retrieved 6 March 2013.