UNRA demolishes Villa Park to pave way for city flyover  

Men demolishing villa park offices along Mukwano road on 23rd, August 2019. Villa Park is one of the structures that are being demolished in preparation for the construction of the Kampala flyover. PHOTO BY KELVIN ATUHAIRE

The final clearance of the right of way for the Kampala Flyover Construction and Road Upgrading project is underway along Mukwano Road.

Preliminary works on the project commenced in May this year.

Uganda National Roads Authority Head of enforcement John Ssejemba who is overseeing the clearance said that by sunset today they would have cleared all structures that are in the way so as to handover the area to the contractor.

“The project is going on well, today we are going to clear everything that is on the right of way so as to be able to finish the final phase and handover the site to the contractor,” he said.

A police officer standing in front of a grader during the demolition of villa park offices along Mukwano road on 23rd, August 2019. Villa Park is one of the structures that were demolished in preparation for the construction of the Kampala flyover. PHOTO BY KELVIN ATUHAIRE

According to Ssejemba the first phase includes clearing the structures from clock tower to Villa Park, Nsambya, Mukwano road, Kitgum House up to Centenary Park.

The Japanese government through its overseas development agency, JICA, is funding the project to a tune of Shs224b. The project is expected to be completed within 36 months. 

According to the project design, the Clock Tower flyover will be half a kilometre long. The road from Shoprite at Queen’s Way towards Katwe side will be widened to have more lanes and the redesign will cover half a kilometre.

A grader demolishing some section of structures along Mukwano road on 23rd, August 2019. All structures on the right of way are being cleared in preparation for the construction of the Kampala flyover. PHOTO BY KELVIN ATUHAIRE

The contractors will also improve Nsambya Road, Mukwano Road and part of Ggaba Road.

The construction of the flyover on Entebbe Road serves a purpose of reducing congestion on a route which has the second highest traffic jam in the country after Jinja Road.

Traffic jam in the city has increased to the extent that motorists who reside 30Kms away from the city spend more than two hours to reach their workplace, especially in the morning. 

World Bank estimates show that traffic congestion costs the country more than Shs2.8 trillion annually.

The flyover project will be executed in phases; phase 2 will be on Jinja Road near the Centenary Park and Wampewo Roundabout. The JICA will also fund it. The tendering of the design for the second phase will be announced next year. Phase two is expected to cost Shs659b.

Police attached to UNRA backing the demolition at Villa park offices along Mukwano road on 23rd, August 2019. Villa Park is one of the structures that are being demolished in preparation for the construction of the Kampala flyover. PHOTO BY KELVIN ATUHAIRE

JICA conceived the flyover project eight years ago after commissioning studies to explore options for alleviating chronic traffic jams around the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area. The flyovers are also expected to connect outwards to the proposed Kampala-Jinja and Kampala-Mpigi Expressways.
The government and Japanese government signed a loan for the flyover project in 2015.
Unlike in the previous construction project, Unra says it has already acquired 65 per cent of the land on which the flyover will be constructed for the first phase.