Kayunga road projects stall amid virus crisis
Wasted. Heaps of murram on Kayunga-Busaana road whose construction has stalled due to the pandemic. PHOTO BY FRED MUZAALE.
What you need to know:
- Last year, government completed the 183 mega watts Isimba Dam on River Nile as well as reconstructing Mukono-Kayunga-Njeru road which has increased traffic volumes and created market for goods and services in the area.
The Covid-19 pandemic has affected construction work for the Kayunga-Busaana road and the Isimba Dam bridge.
Local leaders and residents had anticipated that both projects could quicken development of the district if they are completed on time.
Tarmacking of the road from Kayunga Town to Nabuganyi Landing Site on River Nile began on January 1 and is expected to end in September this year.
The 20.2 kilometer road is being constructed by Abubaker Technical Services under a joint venture with a Malaysian probase firm. The road was being constructed using the Malaysian probase soil stabilisation technology.
Probase technology is the method of soil road enhancement and maintenance and is said to be cost effective and delivers more durable roads.
On the other hand, construction of the Isimba Dam bridge that connects Kayunga and Kamuli districts by China Water and Electric Corporation began last year and was expected to be completed by the end of this year.
However, Mr Enock Kalema, the project manger for the Kayunga-Busaana project, said on Tuesday that they had halted construction works since they could not keep all the workers in a camp as guided by President Museveni.
During one of his televised addresses on Covid-19 last month, Mr Museveni advised contractors who do not have enough construction materials and cannot encamp their workers to suspend work during the lockdown. The coronavirus lockdown was initially 14 days and has since been extended by 21 days up to May 5.
“We have definitely been affected by the coronavirus pandemic and we have lost a bit of time, but when the problem is over we shall resume construction,” Mr Kalema said.
He explained that currently, they are unable to import some of the materials to use in the road construction due to the coronavirus outbreak that has affected cargo movement.
“We have now lost one month, but we shall see whether we can finish the work in the stipulated period,” he added.
For the Isimba bridge construction, the assistant project manager, Mr Niu Hongtao, said they had not halted the construction works, but had cut down the number of workers, which is likely to delay the completion of the project.
Although Mr Hongtao had anticipated that they would finish the project by the end of this year, he is not sure whether they would make it.
“We are trying to ensure that we beat the deadline, but we don’t know whether we shall be able to do so given all these challenges,” Mr Hongtao said.
Mr Hongtao said construction of some of the pillars had been completed noting that piling works were ongoing, but at a slow pace.
