How to dance on the tip of a tuning fork on the Indian Ocean
in ARCHITETTURA | architecture
© arcomai I View of the Selander Bridge under completion.
UNESCO has stated that Dar es Salaam, the largest and busiest city in Tanzania, is the second fastest-growing African metropolis after Lagos (Nigeria). Since a process of reforming regional traffic policies was launched (about ten years ago), the country’s former capital has undoubtedly changed its urban appearance; this is also thanks to DART (Dar Rapid Transit), the transport company that since 2016 has given a great boost to the modernization of public road transport. Of this transformation, the new Selander Bridge, which runs along the coast overlooking the Indian Ocean, can fully represent this memorable decade of Dar.
The work, born from an agreement between Tanzania and South Korea, will be 6.2 km long – of which 1.2 km is a bridge – and has a cost of 126.26 million dollars, 82.9% of which is covered by the Asian country while the remaining is financed by Tanzania. This project is part of the plan of the Korean Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF), which has made available a package of loans for a total of 91 million dollars aimed at the economic growth of developing nations. It is the largest loan ever granted for a social capital project in Africa. The construction is carried out by the Korean company GS E&C (GS Engineering Corporation) and the local Tanzania National Roads Agency. The infrastructure should be completed by June 2022.
In the last five years, GS E&C has made significant efforts to expand its presence in Africa. Among the objectives achieved we note: the installation of a 132-kilovolt power transmission line that connects Kilimanjaro and Arusha in northern Tanzania, the construction of the Kais combined cycle gas/power plant in Algeria, an oil refinery in Egypt and a 330-kilovolt power transmission line in Kumasi, Ghana.
© arcomai I View of the Selander Bridge under completion..
The infrastructure, which aims to facilitate traffic between Msasani and the Central Business District (specifically between the Coco Beach area and the Aga Khan Hospital), will help to reduce congestion on the strategic artery of Ali Hassan Mwinyi Road. With a capacity of 180 tons, it will be able to “ferry” as many as 55,000 vehicles per day, with a significant reduction in congestion and travel times along this axis. The structure takes its name from the old Selander Bridge which was built in 1929 by John Einar Selander, the first director of public works of Tanganyika, the name of Tanzania before unification with Zanzibar in 1964. The construction site is currently about 80% complete.
The bridge has a width of 20.5 meters. To date, the construction of the 254 foundation pillars has been completed in tandem with the construction of the platform needed for the installation of a permanent foundation of the bridge. The five reinforced concrete pylons in the shape of giant forks – reminiscent of the silhouette of a tuning fork – are now complete. The next phase will be the “spectacular” assembly of the tie rods for the five spans of the bridge, of which the two central ones, supported by a monumental strut, will have a span of as much as 125 meters. For its construction, about 600 people were employed, of which 92% were Tanzanian. Moreover, only 8% of the technical staff comes from abroad. If we add to this the 24 engineers from the Ministry of Transport and Communications who are receiving training under the project, we can say that this is an almost entirely Made in Tanzania viaduct. The roadway of the bridge will not be very high compared to sea level. It will appear as the materialization of the horizon of the Indian Ocean giving the impression that the structure is dancing on the sea waters. It is no coincidence that in engineering, works are always carried out “in a workmanlike manner”.
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© arcomai I View of the Selander Bridge under completion.