By Our Reporter
Prime Minister Mwigulu Nchemba has directed the Ministry of Works to fast-track plans to upgrade the Bariadi-Singida road to tarmac standard, in a move expected to improve market access, reduce transport challenges and strengthen economic links between three development zones.
Dr Nchemba instructed Works Minister Masanja Kadogosa to ensure feasibility studies for the proposed road are completed before the end of the current financial year, stressing that the project should be treated as an economic priority rather than merely a local infrastructure demand.
He issued the directive while addressing residents of Mwandoya Village in the Kisesa area of Meatu District, Simiyu Region.
Dr Nchemba said the road would serve communities beyond Simiyu, including residents of Mara Region, by providing a shorter route to Dodoma, the country's capital.
“This road is not only for Mwandoya residents; people in Mara Region also need it because it is a shorter route to the country's capital. This is a production region, so the road has economic significance and is important,” he said.
The proposed improvement is expected to strengthen connectivity for agricultural producers, traders and other businesses by making the movement of goods and people easier across the regions.
Mr Kadogosa said the Government had already begun addressing the development of a wider road corridor linking Salama in Magu, Bariadi, Itilima, Mwandoya, Karatu, Hydom, Guguti, Sibiti, Mwanhuzi, Lalago and Maswa through the Isengwa junction.
He said construction was progressing on some sections in Manyara Region, with the 25-kilometre Mbulu-Gababi road reaching 52 per cent completion, while the 25-kilometre Labay-Hydom section had reached 25 per cent.
The minister said the wider corridor was strategically important because it would connect three development zones: the Lake Zone through Simiyu, the Central Zone through Singida, and the Northern Zone through Manyara and Arusha.
Such connectivity, he said, would strengthen movement between production areas and markets while improving access to social and economic opportunities.
On the Nyashimo-Ndutwa and Mwandoya-Isengwa roads, Mr Kadogosa said the ministry would expedite feasibility studies to enable the projects to be considered for funding in the 2027/28 financial year.
Simiyu Regional Commissioner Said Mtanda said the region continued to implement various development projects but required better road connections with Mwanza and other neighbouring regions to support economic activities.
He specifically asked the Government to prioritise the 78-kilometre Bariadi-Magu road, saying improved connectivity would help link communities and facilitate the movement of agricultural produce and other goods.
Earlier, Kisesa MP Musa Mbuga told the Prime Minister that residents were looking forward to the upgrading of the Bariadi-Itilima-Mwandoya-Meatu road to tarmac standard.
He said the road would open up tourism and business opportunities while addressing transport and transportation challenges facing communities in Simiyu.
For residents and businesses, the proposed road improvements represent an opportunity to reduce isolation of production areas, improve access to markets and strengthen Simiyu's links with neighbouring regions. However, the immediate priority remains completion of feasibility studies and securing the necessary budgetary allocation for implementation