UNRA lines up 22 roads for upgrade

The Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) has names 22 roads in different parts of the country that set to be upgraded in order to help increase on the number of tarmacked roads in the country.

Speaking on Wednesday while giving the performance report for the financial year 2021/2022, UNRA Executive Director, Allen Kagina said  the upgrade will see another 1345.45km added onto the country’s  tarmacked road network.

“Government, with its  development  partners,  continues  to  invest  significantly  in providing a good road network. UNRA Management is doing its best to ensure that the resources allocated are efficiently utilised and that there is value for money from the investment,”Kagina said.

The roads to either be upgraded or designed and built include  Koboko-Yumbe-Moyo Road (103.08km), Luwero-Butalangu Road (30km,  Kabale-Lake Bunyonyi and Kisoro-Mgahinga Roads (33.2km), Yumbe –Ure-Bridge Road (23.6Km) ,Tororo-Busia Road (26Km) Mayuge and Busia town roads (18Km), Kawuku-Bwerenga Road (6.6km)  and  Namugonde-Bugiri (Fuel Tank Reservoir 1.6km).

Others are  Kitgum-Kidepo(115km), Kabwohe-Bwizibwera/ Nyakambu-Nsiika (46.4km), Kisubi–Nakawuka-Nateete (27km), Nakawuka–Kasanje-Mpigi(20km), Nakawuka–Mawagulu–Nanziga-Maya(11km), Kasanje-Buwaya (9km), Entebbe-Nakiwogo (3.5km), selected  town roads in Pallisa (7.7km and Kumi (12.2km), Iganga-Bulopa-Kamuli road (56.3km),Luku-Kalangala-Mulabana Road (65.3km), seven town roads (10.67km), Jinja-Mbulamuti-Kamuli-Bukungu (127km) and Jinja City Roads (10km), Kotido-Kaabong Road (69.2km), critical oil roads including  Karugutu –Ntoroko Road (56.5Km), Link to Rwebisengo (8.2Km) and 3.3Km of town roads in Ntoroko.

UNRA will also upgrade Kisoro-Rubuguru-Muko/Nteko Road (72km) Karenga-Kapedo-Kaboong Road (67.5km) Ishasha-Katunguru Road (88km) Nabumali-Butaleja-Namutumba Road (72km)selected  access roads in Rushere Town (3km) and Kyamate access roads (2.6km) Lusalira-Nkonge-Lumegere-Ssembabule Road(97km).

According to Kagina, UNRA will also construct 76 bridges in different parts of the country to help improve mobility.

She revealed that UNRA will also complete the upgrading of six roads measuring 343.7kms in various parts of the country before the financial year  2022/23 ends .

Giving an account of the previous year, the UNRA Executive Director said the roads agency is currently upgrading  23  roads  including new  construction  and upgrading  from  gravel  to  paved  bituminous  standards covering  a  total  distance  of 1,514.10 Km that were at various stages of construction the previous year.

“The  incremental  percentage  increase  in  physical  progress  for  all  the projects was assessed to be a total equivalent of213.18 Km as the total construction output within the financial year,” Kagina noted.

Completed

According to UNRA, three roads making a total of 287.5km were completed last year and to this, Kagina mentioned the second phase of the second phase of the Kampala Northern Bypass(17.5km), Masindi Park Junction and Tangi Junction-Para-Buliisa(159km) and the  Hoima-Butiaba-Wanseko(111km).

“This  brings  the  total  paved  stock  to  5,878.5  km,  which  is 28%  of  the  national  road network. In addition, UNRA upgraded 30.3 Km of town roads within various towns and municipalities which are not part of the national road network, as part of the national roads development programme and were completed this financial year.”