Construction works on the stalled multibillion Busega-Mpigi Expressway project will resume early next year, a Ministry of Works and Transport official has revealed.
According to Eng Isaac Wani, the Commissioner for National Roads, some additional Euros 217m (about Shs909 billion) has already been approved by the African Development Bank to facilitate the completion of the project.
“The approved sum, Euros 217m (about Shs909b), is for the expressway and the added scope of works, including the proposed Busega interchange. The project should resume as soon as possible once the contractor receives financing; give it early next year. But our teams are going to be on site even before that to validate and process compensation of affected persons so that the contractor can resume works with adequate right of way,” he said during an interview on Wednesday.
The project, which is expected to reduce the persistent traffic gridlock along the usually busy Kampala-Masaka highway, had stalled early this year like many other ongoing roads projects due to lack of funds. By the time the project stalled, Eng. Wani said the contractor had covered 46 percent of the work.
“With the approval from the African Development Bank, the increased scope will be implemented and the project completed to meet the desired goals of decongesting this critical corridor,” he added.
To avoid the more than 14km traffic jam along the Kampala-Masaka highway, some motorists currently use Mpigi-Bikondo-Nakawuka Road to connect to the city via Nateete junction. Another section of motorists accessing Kampala City from the direction of Masaka decide to use the Nsangi-Buloba Road to connect to the city through the Mityana-Kampala road because of the unending traffic gridlock.
Mr. Sulaiman Muhammad, a truck driver regularly using the Kampala-Masaka highway, urged the government to expedite the project, saying they are tired of diversions to village routes whenever there is a motor crash involving a heavy truck on the highway.
“We never expected that project to delay like this, but if the project has been funded and they have secured the money, we pray that it is put to good use and have the road completed,” he said.
Mpigi District Chairperson, Mr. Martine Ssejjemba, said he is optimistic that once the Busega-Mpigi Expressway is completed, residents, including the business community, could tap into the many development opportunities that come with improved with road networks.
“This particular road project has been delayed, although the reasons for the delays have already been explained. The unnecessary traffic jams cost the business community, workers, and residents their precious time and money. Mpigi District will benefit more from that project. I also pray that all the Project Affected Persons are compensated before the end of the project,” he said.
The Busega-Mpigi Expressway, which had earlier been projected to cost Shs547bn, kicked off in May 2020. The road starts at Busega in Kampala and takes a south-westerly direction to Mpigi Town through 21 villages, spread over two Town Councils (Kyengera and Mpigi) and two sub-counties (Kiringete and Wakiso).
This new road connects to the existing Kampala-Masaka-Mbarara highway at Lungala Village. The Kampala-Masaka-Mbarara highway leads to the common border with Rwanda via Mirama Hills and Kagitumba. It is among the busiest highways, with an average daily traffic count of 20,908 vehicles using the road daily.
The new road will include four major interchanges to facilitate interconnection with roads at designated points at Lungala, Maya, Nabbingo, and Nsangi in Wakiso District, off both the Northern Bypass and the Entebbe Expressway.
On January 29, 2024, a section of the Kampala-Masaka highway was closed to motorists to allow construction of the Mpigi interchange. Road users were diverted to use a 3.7km road through Mpigi township and rejoin the highway at Kalagala Village in Mpigi District.
The 23.7km road works are being undertaken by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) and the China Railway 19th Bureau Group Company Limited.