Work on new Kampala flyovers begins next January

December 19, 2018 in Infrastructure, Investment, Real Estate & Property, Transport by Editor

December 19, 2018—Next January will see the start of works on the proposed Kampala Flyover project with money being provided by the Japanese government. An official ground-breaking ceremony took place today presided over by President Yoweri Museveni.

“We should also have different routes for Kampala dwellers and those who are just passing through Kampala to go to other districts. This way, the traffic will be well controlled,” he said. Not long ago, the World Bank commissioned a study that estimated that Kampala’s traffic jams cost the country $800 million in annual GDP.

Museveni flags off construction on the outskirts of Kampala city centre in the company of the Japanese Ambassador, Kazuaki Kameda, civic leaders and senior government officials.

The main purpose of the project is to build flyovers to help ease congestion and traffic snarl-ups in Kampala. At completion, it is expected to reduce on traffic jams by improving the flow due to alternative routes that will be opened up.

Last September 2018, Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) announced Shimizu-Konoike JV as the lead contractor in the close to UGX 300 billion project.

President Museveni appreciated Japan for the continued cooperation saying that it was also beneficial for them to support the infrastructure development in Uganda since it meant buying Japanese goods.

Speaking at the same function, the Minister for works and Transport, Azuba Ntege said the project structures will be built with high end technology which will culminate into transfer of skills to Ugandan engineers, technicians hence enhancing national development.

Eight years ago, the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) commissioned a study and later on updated in 2013 and 2014 to investigate options for alleviating chronic traffic jams in the Greater Kampala.

Among others, this study recommended the the construction of two flyovers at Kitgum House and Clock Tower Junctions, widening of Mukwano Road, improvements of interfacing roads and junctions would be effective and feasible to achieve the mitigation of traffic congestion in GKMA. The proposed project also considered improvement of traffic safety for non-motorized transportation (NMT).

Lot 1 involves building the 0.5 kilometre Clocktower flyover, widening of the Queensway road, improvements of Entebbe Road, widening of Nsambya, Mukwano and Gaba roads.

The project will also involve building of pedestrian bridges at clock tower, Shoprite and Kibuli, junction upgrading and building an underpass at Nsambya.