NEW ‘OIL HIGHWAY’ TO BE READY NEXT MONTH
(Posted 14th September 2014)
A brand new 92 kilometre long highway from the Western Ugandan town of Hoima to the shores of Lake Albert, directly into the centre of activity for oil exploration and future oil production, will according to the Uganda National Road Authority be ready be the end of next month and then formally launched by President Museveni.
While one stretch of the highway still requires extensive work on the road bed, gravelling and then adding the tarmac layers, presently making a detour of a few kilometers mecessary, the bulk of the roadwork will indeed be completed by the look of it as over some stretches all needed was to install the road side barriers and put the markings on the tarmac.
Running from Hoima all the way to the shores of Lake Albert and reaching the fishing community of Kaiso does the new highway also open up the area for other economic activities, sending lake fish to the urban centres and of course most notably tourism.
Two wildlife reserves, the Kaiso Tonya Wildlife Reserve and the Kabwoya Wildlife Reserve, are adjoining to make for a sizeable stretch of wilderness where game, once again, has returned and is in particular around the Lake Albert Safari Lodge seen in impressive numbers.
The drive from Hoima to Lake Albert now takes about 75 minutes, compared to endless hours of falling from one rut and pothole into the next when using the old gravel road, and from the capital Kampala the drive does not take more than 5 hours of leisurely cruising, or 4 ½ hours when in a hurry to get there.
Uganda has in recent years embarked on a number of crucial road projects to open up rural and wildlife areas for more trade in agricultural produce but also to benefit tourism businesses and make access to key parks easier. This concept was amply demonstrated by the new road between Kabale and Kisoro which has led to a significant rise in visitor numbers to the area around Kisoro and farmers prospering by being able to send their produce to the markets in Kampala in the space of a day, as opposed to the old days when the road was often impassable.
Uganda will host the African Travel Association Annual World Congress in November in Kampala and participants and delegates will hopefully be able to travel across the country and experience the unique wilderness areas of the country, the 10 national parks, the game and community reserves, forests, lakes and rivers.
For added information about Destination Uganda click on www.visituganda.com or www.ugandawildlife.org
