Joint MCA – Tanzania and MCC

Washington assesses Road

Designs...

A vehicle on the Laela-Sumbawanga road which was visited by the MCA-Tanzania and MCC Washington teams.The joint team explored the roads from Namtumbo to Mbinga,and from Tunduma to Sumbawanga.

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A joint team that included representatives from Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) –Tanzania, from the Millennium Challenge Corporation (both MCC/Washington and the resident country mission in Tanzania),and from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE),recently returned from an initial assessment mission in Ruvuma,Mbeya and Rukwa regions.

The teams were examining roads that are to be rehabilitated under the Millennium Challenge Compact signed by Presidents George W. Bush and Jakaya Kikwete in February,2008. According to a statement from the U.S. Embassy,the team included Tanzanian and American experts in civil and structural engineering as well as environmental and social impact assessment. Along the way,the team met with various local officials,including acting Regional Commissioners in Rukwa, Ruvuma and Mbeya,as well as technical staff from the local offices of TANROADS.

The purpose of the trip was to familiarize the visiting members of the team with the actual conditions in the region,as they continue to review and assess the existing road designs,and the state of existing plans for handling environmental and social impacts.As several members of the team emphasized,the rehabilitation of major roads requires not only careful and detailed engineering designs,but also comprehensive plans to avoid or mitigate any adverse environmental or social impacts on those who will be affected.

Press Release

US Embasssy in Tanzania