Motorists to start paying for Entebbe Expressway before the year ends

The Minister of Works will on Tuesday visit the Kampala- Entebbe Expressway ahead of final touches to commence road tolling exercise for the facility.

The Minister according to a communication from an inside source will stage at the Kajjanso toll gate to engage with the operators there.

Following the engagement with the toll operators, the ministry intends to make haste with the process of installing tolling fees “by the end of the year”.

According to a source at the Ministry, all plans are done and dusted and unless there are a few setbacks going forward, motorists are expected to start remitting for using the road.

The Ministry was expected to start the tolling process in June this year.

However, in July, Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) in a statement revealed that both the Law and Tolling policy are now in place.

“Once we get the operator, we shall be good to go.”

“At the right time, we shall communicate to the road users on when tolling will start. We shall also announce the toll fees. We’re in the final stage of contracting a firm that will undertake operations and maintenance for the Kampala Entebbe Expressway project,” UNRA said in the statement.

Nile Post understands that indeed, operators have been on the ground to handle the maintenance.

The Expressway was a result of a $476 million loan from China’s EXIM Bank which is payable over a 40-year period. However, since its commissioning in June 2018, the road has been accessed by users without paying toll fees.

About the Expressway

The Kampala-Entebbe Expressway has two lanes in each direction and comprises two road sections – a 36.94km-long section and a 12.68km-long link road. The speed limit on the expressway ranges between 50km/h and 100km/h.

The 36.94km-long section is further divided into two parts. The first 24.9km stretch of the section originates at a point on the Kampala Northern Bypass between Busega and Masanafu intersections and runs along the new route before ending at Abayita Ababari Interchange.

The 12.04km section starts at Abayita Ababari Interchange and runs along the existing Kampala-Entebbe road, of which 7.4km was widened and 4.64km upgraded.

The 12.68km-long link road starts from the highway at Kajjansi Interchange and runs eastwards before ending at Munyonyo.

The toll road has four interchanges at Busega, Kajjansi, Mpala, and Lweza. It also features 19 overbridges and 18 underpasses to provide access to the area around the road.

A total of three main toll plazas are built on the expressway at Busega, Mpala, and Kajjansi. The Busega toll plaza features six toll gates, while the Mpala and Kajjansi have five gates each.

Two suspension bridges, measuring 200m and 500m in length, were built over the Lubijji swamp in Busega and on the highway near Kyengera, respectively.

The highway also boasts of a 75m-long bridge at Kajjansi and a 1.45m-long suspension bridge over the Nambigirwa swamp. The Nambigirwa bridge is supported by 240 pillars installed to a depth of 55m and has a lifespan of 100 years.