Tanzania, Aug. 20 -- Dar es Salaam. The long-awaited expansion of Nelson Mandela Road, which links the Port of Dar es Salaam to the rest of the world, will start next year, the government has said.

The government is finalising procedures to procure a contractor for the project, which is expected to ease congestion along one of Dar es Salaam's busiest transport corridors.

The Tanzania National Roads Agency (Tanroads) plans to upgrade Mandela Road from the Kijazi Interchange to the Nyerere (Kigamboni) Bridge, expanding it to eight lanes comprising six mixed-traffic lanes-three in each direction-and two dedicated Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lanes.

The project is expected to improve access to the Port of Dar es Salaam and facilitate the moveme...