UGANDA, Pakwach | Real Muloodi News | Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) has revealed it has started renovating the Karuma-Arua Road which stretches from Olwiyo in Nwoya District to Pakwach bridge in Pakwach District. The road to being rehabilitated measures a length of 62.5 kilometres.
In 2001, about 21 years ago, the government borrowed UGX 100 billion from the International Development Association (IDA) to improve the status of the road and upgrade it to a class II Bitumen surface with drainage channels, culverts and shoulders.
The project started in 2004 from Karuma to Pakwach under the construction of SBI International Holdings AG (U). During that period, there was easy and fast movement on that road. However, the project ended in 2006 and most sections are now worn out.
Due to the bad spots on the Karuma-Arua Road, its users spend more hours (10 hours) from Arua to Kampala, yet it connects the country to the West Nile Sub-region, DRC and South Sudan.
Saisi Ali is a truck driver who usually uses the Karuma-Olwiyo-Pakwach-Nebbi-Arua road who says that he detests using the road because it’s not vehicle friendly and always causes his vehicle to break down.
The driver reports that just last month, he spent more than UGX 1 million to repair his vehicle because of the poor state of the road.
Mr Allan Ssempebwa, the UNRA spokesperson, said the UGX 177 billion to renovate the road has been awarded to National Enterprise Corporation and China Railway Seventh Group to jointly rehabilitate the road.
“The road is fully funded by the government and the works are expected to be completed in 24 months. The contractor is now taking forward maintenance to ensure that the road is motorable before they start major works,” Mr Ssempebwa said.
He further encouraged road users that although the road is being renovated, the repairs will not take long to deter movement.
Just four years ago, UNRA spent billions of money to renovate the same road.
“Our assurance to the public and users is that the road is under full rehabilitation and they should brace for a completely different user experience,” Ssempebwa said.
He said that the works expected to be done, include: improving the drainage system, expanding the roadways and putting new surfaces.
Mr Emmanuel Orach, the Nwoya District chairman, said that the road works will not only improve the transport system but also create employment opportunities for the neighbouring communities and hence improve their standards of living. He said that it will also boost revenue in the upcoming trade centres.
The Karuma-Arua Road, measuring 233 km, which Musa Ecweru assured Ugandans, is part of the government’s projects planned for repair on the national road network. The rehabilitation works are in a phased manner.
UNRA shall also ensure that any required short-term maintenance works will not stop the road from functioning even during the renovation.
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