Kampala- Masaka road traffic diverted as UNRA declares Lwera ‘impassable’
This photo tweeted by Maurice Mugisha on April 2, 2021 shows a truck stuck at the repaired Lwera road section along Kampala-Masaka highway paralysing traffic for hours. PHOTOS/ COURTESY
What you need to know:
- Kampala –Masaka highway was in poor state until 2009 when government secured about Shs103b from European Union and started upgrading the road to grade II bituminous surface with drainage channels, culverts and shoulders.
Motorists along Kampala-Masaka road have been advised to use alternative routes after
Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) said Friday that the road section at Lwera swamp has been rendered impassable.
UNRA said in a statement Friday that the road section had been rendered impassable following the rains and the heavy trucks not giving the maintenance works time to set and hence compromising motorability.
“Our team is now on site to continue addressing this situation. We are also working with the Uganda Police - Traffic Department to manage the current traffic gridlock in the area,” Mr Allan Ssempebwa, the UNRA media relations manager said in a statement.
This photo tweeted on April 1, 2021 shows UNRA staff working on the Lwera road section following a culvert failure
He advised motorists to use the Mpigi—Kanoni—Sembabule—Villa Maria—Masaka road as an alternative route to avoid the delays.
The roads authority had on Thursday said road safety signage was installed to guide motorists following a culvert failure at the road section.
"Our teams are working tirelessly to complete the works before end of today. Road safety signage has been installed to guide motorists. Please approach carefully," UNRA said Thursday.
Hours later, UNRA said the road section had been restored and that traffic flow had been restored.
“Lwera section along Kampala—Masaka Highway has been restored to normal traffic flow. Both lanes are now operating smoothly. Grateful for your patience and cooperation,” UNRA tweeted Thursday evening.
But by Friday morning, motorists who ply the route had started complaining of spending hours in gridlock after several cars were reported stuck at the ‘repaired’ road section, forcing UNRA to declare it impassable.
This is not the first time the road section is being rendered impassable.
In March 2019, motorists along the highway were diverted after both sides of the road at this section caved in, the right side first on Boxing Day.
Kampala –Masaka highway was in poor state until 2009 when government secured about Shs103b from European Union and started upgrading the road to grade II bituminous surface with drainage channels, culverts and shoulders. The road works were done in two phases and the last phase which was done between 2012 and 2013 saw the road widened from 6.5 metres (21ft) to 11 metres (36 ft). Under the same contract which was undertaken by Reynolds Construction Company, passing and climbing lanes were also created as well as pedestrian and cyclists’ lanes.
Despite the improvements, Kampala-Masaka road has remained one of the most accident-prone highways in the country, registering between 200 and 300 fatalities annually. At the height of accidents on the highway in 2015 which claimed the lives of former Miss Tourism Finalists Norah Atim, Barbara Nakiwolo and Resty Namawejje, an employee of NTV-Uganda, members of Parliament demanded for a probe into the road designs, procurement and construction of the highway.
Mukono Municipality MP Betty Namboze who moved the motion castigated government for looking on as the road turned into a death trap for “innocent citizens.”
Some MPs like Butambala County representative Mohammed Muwanga Kivumbi claimed that Unra had constructed a road with slippery tarmac which partly contributes to accidents at the time.
