Govt tasks contractor to complete Busega-Mpigi expressway by 2025
Ms Juliet Ninsiima, a senior socialogist at Unra (3rd right) briefs Works and Transport Minister Gen Katumba Wamala (2nd left) on the Busega-Mpigi Expressway project during an inspection on March 4, 2022. PHOTO | BRIAN ADAMS KESIIME
What you need to know:
- The 23.7km Expressway project is undertaken by a consortium of Chinese companies including China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) and the China Railway 19th Bureau Group Company Limited.
The government has extended the contract for Busega-Mpigi Expressway by three more years to enable the contractor to complete construction works.
The 23.7km Expressway project is undertaken by a consortium of Chinese companies including China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) and the China Railway 19th Bureau Group Company Limited.
According to Works and Transport Minister, Gen Edward Katumba Wamala, the project has suffered some setbacks including the Covid-19 pandemic which slowed down works for one and half years, and unresolved land wrangles in some villages which hampered the government's efforts to secure enough rights of way or the project.
The project which kicked off in May 2020 was expected to be complete in May this year, but construction works currently stand at only 15 percent.
"We could have finished the project by now, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic which took us into two successive lockdowns, we had very limited manpower since people were not allowed to gather in numbers hence causing this delay," Gen. Wamala said while inspecting the project on Wednesday. The minister said the original road design was changed which also contributed to the delay.
“We did this [changing original road design] after realising that the road was passing in populated areas which could attract huge compensation claims,” He said
The project is anticipated to mitigate traffic congestion along the usually busy Kampala-Masaka highway, especially between Busega and Nsangi.
Like the case with Kampala-Entebbe Expressway, Gen Katumba said the Busega-Mpigi Expressway will be tolled and motorists will pay money depending on the vehicle size.
He said the majority of Project Affected Persons (PAPs) have already received their compensation packages and the remaining few will be cleared soon. The minister, however, declined to reveal the number of PAPs so far have been compensated.
The ongoing construction works started from Katende Village in Kiringente Sub County and continue towards Mpigi Town council.
In some areas along the expressway like Maya, Nsangi, Nabbingo, and Kyengera, the contractor has not yet started work while in other places like Lungala, Katende, Lufuka, Ggala, and Maziba-Nkonge serious works like land clearance, topsoil removal, drainage works, earthworks, borrow pit operations and construction of box culverts are ongoing.
The Shs540b new expressway will include four major interchanges to facilitate interconnection with roads at designated points at Nabbingo, Nsangi, Maya in Wakiso District, and Lungala in Mpigi District off both the Northern Bypass and the Entebbe-Expressway whose expansion and construction, separately is ongoing.
