GABORONE, June 25 (Xinhua) -- The first "spaghetti road" constructed in Botswana will reduce traffic congestion in the city of Francistown, a Botswana senior official said Sunday.
Transport and Communications Minister Kitso Mokaila said the interchange bridge, constructed by China Railway Seventh Group (CRSG) Botswana (Pty) Ltd, is expected to be officially unveiled to the public late next month.
The interchange is located in the country's second largest city Francistown, and features many links leading into and out of Francistown's central business district (CBD).
Widely believed to be the diamond-rich nation's new landmark, the spaghetti junction is expected to bring much relief to motorists in the Botswana city, according to Mokaila.
In an interview with Xinhua after touring the project Sunday, Mokaila said the spaghetti road is a transformative infrastructure project that has the potential of wooing prospective investors to Francistown.
"The spaghetti will (definitely) be a boon to the economy of Francistown and the general livelihoods of Botswana (citizens of Botswana) living in the northeastern part of the country," Mokaila said.
The minister said the spaghetti road will help expand the capacity of major and secondary roads that bisects Francistown's CBD and to initiate rapid traffic transit systems.
With this project, Mokaila said the process of reforming the urban transport has just begun, as Botswana aspires to be counted among the top countries with good transport system.
Mokaila said the Chinese government and some institutions from the world's most populous nation are playing a significant role in Botswana's infrastructural growth.
Construction of the spaghetti road started in 2015, as part of a 30-km dual road project, at a cost of 100 million U.S. dollars.
CRSG Botswana is a subsidiary of the construction firm China Railway Group Limited (China Railway Engineering Corporation) and has operations in Africa and Saudi Arabia.
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