New Kampala to Jinja highway project takes shape

NEW JINJA HIGHWAY COMING NEARER TO REALITY

(Posted 13th March 2014)

The new planned 77 kilometre long express highway between Kampala and Jinja, part of the Northern Corridor linking the Indian Ocean port of Mombasa with Uganda and the African hinterland, is slowly taking shape. UNRA, the Uganda National Roads Authority, has now issued a public notice that detailed site investigation activities are going underway, after gazetting the proposed road routing a year ago already.

The new road project will bring relief to not just the transit traffic but also to commuters as it will starting from Kampala’s suburb of Nakawa start with 6 lanes before from Lugazi to Jinja 4 lanes will be constructed. When reaching Jinja it will link to the new bridge which is due to be constructed over the Nile.

It is understood that the design stage of the project is now underway, which will among other tasks map out and mark the new highway route, identify property owners for the purpose of compensation and which is due to be completed by July this year, before monetary compensation is being launched prior to construction.

The new route will in large part differ from the present standard highway between Kampala and Jinja and for most part run south of the current route.

Together with the already under construction new highway from Kampala to Entebbe this is part of Uganda’s major infrastructure investments in the road sector to decongest the capital city and improve transit traffic flow.

Both new highways are thought to be operated as toll roads to allow government recoup the investment and allow a servicing of loans taken out for the purpose of construction.

The routes to the key national parks in the country, located in the north east and the south west, have already undergone substantial upgrading and rehabilitation in recent years, notably the Kampala to Gulu Highway which passes Murchisons Falls National Park and the route from Kampala via Masaka to Mbarara and beyond to Kabale and Kisoro, which accesses the gorilla national parks of Bwindi and Mgahinga. Equally was the road from Mbarara to Queen Elizabeth National Park and the Rwenzori Mountain National Park improved, making it easier for tourists to reach their destinations with greater ease.

For more information about the country’s tourism attractions see www.visituganda.com