NAIROBI, Dec.3 (Xinhua) -- Construction of the coastal highway linking Kenya's town of Malindi to Tanzania's Bagamoyo town will begin in early 2019, according to an official with the African Development Bank (AfDB).

Gabriel Negatu, director general of the East Africa Regional Development and Business Delivery Office of AfDB, told Xinhua in Nairobi on Sunday that the lender will provide 70 percent financing for the 77 billion Kenya shilling (751.3 million U.S. dollars) project with Tanzania and Kenya funding the remaining 30 percent within their respective territories.

"We are prioritizing the Malindi to Bagamoyo transnational highway because it will boost inter-regional trade," Negatu said. The 460 km road consists of 250 km on Kenya's side and the rest on the Tanzanian portion.

Negatu added that the road is also expected to ease movement of cargo between Kenya's Port of Mombasa and Tanzania's Bagamoyo Port.

The AfDB official said the road project which will take 36 months to complete, has been hit with delays for the past two years.

He observed that Tanzania has already completed its design and environmental assessments for its portion of the road project.

He noted that the East African Community which consists of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda and South Sudan needs to increase investment in regional infrastructure projects in order to boost cross border trade.