On May 18 local time, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening of a 108-km highway in the country. In her speech, Hassan praised the project and extended appreciation for all who contributed to the construction of the project.  

　　Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan (seventh left) cuts the ribbon for the opening of the 108-km highway.

　　China Railway Seventh Group is the contractor of the highway project, which is located on Tanzania’s southwest border as the third bidding section of the Tabora-Koga-Mpanda provincial highway upgrading project. With a design speed of 100 km per hour and a total length of about 108 kilometers, the highway was built in complicated geological environments, passing mountains, forests, swamps and a depopulated area measuring 64 kilometers in length. The construction team had to meet high standards for environment protection, and deal with harsh natural conditions in the mosquitoes-infested, wild animals-haunted area where malaria and typhoid fever are rampant.

　　Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan (right, center) unveils the highway.

　　An important part of Tanzania’s national trunk highway system, the project will greatly facilitate local people’s travel and boost mineral resources and agricultural development in Katavi.