It was learned that the road from the main gate to the rim of
Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania is set to be paved, to ease movements of
vehicles in particular during the rainy season.
The stretch inside the park has been known to be treacherous during
heavy rains and the project to tarmac the 6 kilometers up to the rim
have been broadly welcomed by safari operators, even though they have to
use a detour at present in order to either leave the conservation area
or else get into it.
A spokesperson for the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority was
quoted as having given a price tag of some 2.8 billion Tanzania
shillings for the paving of the road which is, while leading to the rim
of the crater, also the main route for safari traffic from Arusha to the
Serengeti National Park as well as part of the transit route for
traffic through the park destined for such places as Musoma on Lake
Victoria. The work, according to information received from Arusha,
should be completed by June 1 or soon afterwards though that may delay
as a result of adverse weather conditions. The source also confirmed
that there were no plans to tarmac other sections of this route inside
the protected areas and that this particular stretch was selected to
improve road safety and ensure that the road remains open year round and
through the rainy seasons.
Meanwhile, the long-awaited start of construction of the planned
highway between Arusha, Tanzania, and Voi in Kenya is now finally due to
start in June this year, a source based in Arusha has confirmed.
The project worth nearly US$235 million will be largely financed
through the African Development Bank, with the two governments of Kenya
and Tanzania contributing some US$28 million combined.
The road project will, when completed, greatly ease road transport
between the port city of Mombasa to Arusha, supporting regional trade
but also boosting the flow of tourists who can then visit the
attractions of the area without being shaken to bits as is presently the
case along the road section between Taveta and Mwatate on the Kenyan
side, arguably one of the worst trunk roads anywhere in Kenya.
The road links Tsavo East National Park with Tsavo West National Park
towards Lake Jipe, the Taita Hills Game Reserve and Lake Chala while on
the Tanzanian side the Mkomanzi National Park and the Kilimanjaro
National Park will be easier to access, especially as bypasses are
planned around the town of Taveta.
A stretch from Arusha towards Moshi will be turned into a dual
carriage highway covering some 14 kilometers in order to further ease
traffic in and out of Arusha towards the Kilimanjaro International
Airport. Construction is expected to last approximately 3 years before
the entire new highway is complete.
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