Installation of lighting poles along Kampala-Entebbe Expressway (KEE) has commenced, officials have announced.
Accordingly, the installation works are aimed at providing better visibility on the road and ensuring safety of the road users.
”We are thrilled to announce that we have started installation of lighting poles on the road.
We hope to accomplish this significant milestone to provide better visibility and increase on the safety of all road users.” officials announced on Friday.
The officials noted that during the installation period, all road users were being urged to follow traffic signs and instructions to avoid accidents or delays.
The lighting installation comes on the backdrop of concerns previously raised by members of the public and road users over insecurity and rampant accidents along the expressway, something they blamed on poor lighting along the hybrid road.
Road users have been complaining of darkness on the road especially at night which they said was making road visibility hard, causing a number of accidents.
Road users have also complained of insecurity along the country’s only toll road, saying criminals were taking advantage of the darkness to rob unsuspecting motorists.
It should be remembered that roads body, Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA), in 2021 hired a french firm, Egis Roads Operation S. A to carry out maintenance and manage road toll of the expressway.
According to the agreement, the French firm is supposed to provide road safety facilities, lighting and security services to ensure an appropriate level of service excellence along the expressway.
As the implementing company, Egis was to install lighting poles on the road in the first six months of its contract to ensure appropriate road visibility and safety of road users. However, this did not go according to the plan.
In February, MPs on Parliament’s Physical Infrastructure Committee summoned officials from Ministry of Works and Transport and UNRA to explain delays in installation of lighting along the expressway.
Addressing the committee, Minister of Works and Transport Gen Katumba Wamala attributed the delays to Covid-19 lockdown which he said had disrupted movement and inspections of the lighting materials from origin countries.
Late last year, UNRA media relations manager, Allan Ssempebwa, told this website that they were looking at installing over 1,000 light poles and bulbs along the entire mainline expressway from Mpala to Busega.
He said the cost of the installation of the lights was covered under the Shs102 billion five-year contract sum for the operation and maintenance of the expressway which was handed over to Egis.
The Kampala-Entebbe Expressway (KEE) is a four lane toll expressway under Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) linking Entebbe International Airport to Kampala, the country’s capital city.
The Shs1.8 trillion road comprises of two lanes in each direction, two road sections; a 36.94km-long section and a 12.68km-long link road as well as four interchanges at Busega, Kajjansi, Mpala and Lweza.
