Dar es Salaam Road Upgrade Targets Key Port Bottleneck
The project connects the Port of Dar es Salaam more efficiently to the national road network. It serves landlocked markets across southern and eastern Africa — markets that depend on Dar es Salaam as their primary gateway.
What is changing on Nelson Mandela Road?
Tanroads plans to upgrade the road between the Kijazi Interchange and the Nyerere Bridge. The route will expand to eight lanes: six mixed-traffic lanes and two dedicated Bus Rapid Transit lanes.
Julius Msofe, Tanroads’ BRT Project Coordinator, confirmed that procurement is still under way. The agency is completing Tender Board procedures before inviting contractors. Design review for the BRT Phase II mixed-traffic section is already done.
Construction is expected to begin in 2027 and run for roughly 30 months. The scope includes new bridges at Luhanga and Msimbazi. That breadth makes this more than a simple road-widening. It ties urban mobility directly to port logistics and broader BRT planning.
Why does the upgrade matter for trade flows?
The Port of Dar es Salaam handles domestic and transit cargo for seven landlocked neighbours. Those markets include the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia, Uganda, Malawi and Zimbabwe. Nelson Mandela Road feeds directly into Morogoro Road, the main artery to all of them.
Congestion on this corridor is severe. March 2025 Traffic Time Index data show a 30-minute trip can stretch to 70 minutes at peak hours. Commuters lose roughly 2.5 hours a day. Tanroads’ acting chief executive Ephatar Mlavi has noted that congestion generates measurable economic costs — lost working hours, excess fuel consumption and higher vehicle wear.
The expanded road should cut delay risk and improve cargo handling times. Bus operators and truck owners have welcomed the plans, while calling for parallel upgrades on wider corridor routes.
The broader investment signal
Tanzania’s infrastructure push spans energy, gas and health. The landmark 2,115MW Julius Nyerere hydropower project and a growing portfolio of energy and health investments sit alongside this road upgrade. Together, they signal a government pairing productive capacity with logistics.
Tanzania is strengthening port access while adding road capacity. That combination sharpens the investment case for logistics operators, transport services and trade-linked real estate. Investors should track procurement milestones, financing terms and whether parallel corridor upgrades keep pace with this route.
Quick answers
Construction is expected to begin in 2027, following completion of Tender Board procurement procedures. The works are projected to take approximately 30 months.
The road will expand to eight lanes: six mixed-traffic lanes and two dedicated Bus Rapid Transit lanes, covering the stretch between Kijazi Interchange and Nyerere Bridge.
Seven landlocked neighbours use the port as a primary gateway, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia, Uganda, Malawi and Zimbabwe.
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