Progress of road rehabilitation/strengthening projects

Progress of projects for upgrading to tarmac

Progress of ongoing projects and those due to commence for upgrading to paved standard.

Progress on Capacity improvement projects

This category of pledges has four roads for capacity improvement/ construction of dual carriageways radiating from Kampala. By December 2012, works had commenced for one project ie Kampala-Entebbe Express Highway, one had complete design and 2 were under design.

Projects under Contractor Facilitated Financing

The CFF approach entails the invitation of tenders for both works implementation as well as financing for the project. Under this approach, developers/contractors are selected on the basis of (i) Capacity to undertake the project, (ii) Capability to organize funding for the project (iii) financial offer and (iv) acceptable lending terms. The approach therefore creates competition on technical, financial and project financing terms which is expected to result in Value for Money for Government. Works on these roads will commence in 2014.

Roads Designed for upgrading to tarmac

Designs for these roads have been completed.  Government is seeking funds for construction of these roads.

Progress of Feasibility study and design of roads

MBARARA-KIKAGATI-MURONGO BRIDGE ROAD

Background of the Project

The Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) is responsible for managing, maintaining and developing the national road network across Uganda. Much of the network requires substantial improvement or development to meet current and forecast traffic demands, and to promote equal distribution of, and access to, economic and social development across the country. As such the Government of Uganda has committed to fund a sizeable programme of works in the next few years.

The Government of the Republic of Uganda (GoU) has earmarked funds to finance its National Roads Development and Maintenance Plan (NRDMP) and it intends to apply part of these funds to upgrade the Mbarara-Kikagati-Murongo Bridge Road from an unsealed earth/gravel to class ll bituminous paved road. The unsealed Isingiro-Mabona loop road shall be upgraded to sealed Class lll road.

The project has been awarded to China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) Ltd as a design and build contract with a construction period of 36 months. COWI A/S and COWI Uganda Ltd has been engaged by CCCC Pvt. Ltd in association with Multiplan consulting Engineers was appointed to provide consultancy services for design review, and management of the work contract and supervision of construction works.

Description of the Project

Mbarara-Kikagati-Murongo Bridge road (67Km) including Isingiro Mabona loop (7Km) is presently a gravel road situated in the south western part of Uganda. It runs through Mbarara and Isingiro Districts to the Tanzania border at Murongo Bridge across the Kagera River. The road begins at the Mbarara Municipal Council sign post at the interface where the road construction changes from paved to gravel. The road effectively connects Uganda to Tanzania and Rwanda.

Summary of Key Contract Details

Mbarara-Katuna Road Project (Lot 3 Rwentobo-Kabale-Katuna 65Km)

H.E President Yoweri Museveni, EU Commissioner for Development Cooperation Mr. Andris Piebalgs and the EU Head of Delegation in Uganda discuss during the ground breaking ceremony of Mbarara-Katuna road.

Project Background

The Government of Uganda (GoU) has obtained grants from the European Development Fund towards the cost of the design (EDF9) and reconstruction (EDF 10) of the priority section of the Northern Corridor route (NCR) from Mbarara through Ntungamo and Kabale to Katuna.

The reconstruction of the Mbarara to Katuna section of the NCR was tendered as two Contacts, namely Lot 2 from km 36 to km 95 and Lot 3 from km 95 to km 160 at Katuna.

The contract for the reconstruction of Lot 3 was awarded to Reynolds construction company (Nig) Ltd on 7 December 2010 (contract 2010/259-788). Reynolds Construction Company (RCC) was given “access to site” from 3 August 2011 along with a notification to commence the works from the same date.

Project Description

Northern Corridor Route

The Northern Corridor Route forms part of the main international route connection Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo and runs from the Kenyan border via Kampala to the Rwandan border with approx. length of 650 km. The road is the country’s most important road link, both nationally and internationally. 

Lot 3 is 65km long, the first 9 km (from Km 95 to 104) of project road are in Ntungamo district and the remaining 56 km of the road is in Kabale Administrative District.  The area is relatively densely populated with subsistence farming the main activity. The project road passes through roadside villages.

From Km 95 to the road crosses flat terrain. Mountainous terrain occurs between Km 97 and Butobere Village (km 134.7) which is located about 3 km before Kabale Town. The Kabale to Katuna   Road section is flat. Between km144.5 to Katuna (Km 160) the road is located on the base of foot slopes along the edge of the Rwanihigw and Kamuganguzi wetland.

Road Upgrading

The project road is at present constructed with a surfaced carriageway and un-surfaced shoulder to average widths as shown in Road upgrading Table 1-1 below.

Average Existing Road Widths

The reconstruction project will involve upgrading the road to a class 1b paved road with 7 m carriage way width and 1.5 m paved shoulders.  As a result of pavement lift and the general need for minor adjustments to the horizontal curvatures, the existing total width of the existing road is generally not sufficient to reconstruct the new road to the above specifications, without widening of the existing embankments.

The necessary widening is minor and as the construction cost of widening on both sides of the existing embankments is significantly higher than a single side widening, the new road centerline has therefore where possible been shifted to one side only. This has had the added advantage that some of the existing lined side drains can be preserved and has minimized expensive rock   cuts. However, through villages and trading centers the road has generally been kept at the center of the existing road to avoid unnecessary demolition of structures and buildings.

Pavement Reconstruction

The existing road comprises a bituminous surface dressing (patched) on a lime stabilized base and a natural gravel sub base.  Typically the existing base will be pulverized and mixed with crushed   stone to be incorporated in the new road as a sub base of G45 quality. A new crushed stone base will then be constructed on this sub base beneath the carriageway and shoulders beneath the carriage way a 90 mm thick asphalt concrete binder course will be constructed on the crushed stone base and will be surfaced with a 60mm asphalt concrete wearing course.  Beneath the new road shoulders the crushed stone base thickness is increased and the asphalt concrete binder course is omitted, but the asphalt wearing course is to be constructed flush with the carriageway. The asphalt mix design shall be based on super pave   procedures and specifications. The road pavement along the Kisoro link between Katuna Junction and the start of the new Kabale-Kisoro-Bunagana road (2.35km long), which runs through Kabale  Town, is to be repaired and a new bituminous surface dressing is to be constructed.

List of Existing Bridges along the Project Road

Contract Details

Mukono-Jinja Road

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Contract Agreement for staged Reconstruction of Mukono-Jinja Road Project was signed on 29 March 2011 between Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA), the Employer, and Spencon-stirling Joint Venture, the contractor. The project financed by the Government of Uganda was awarded to the contractor at a cost of UGX 35,985,910,250.00.

In accordance with the Special conditions of contract, Claus 1.1 [e], the commencement date for the works contract shall be 30 days after signing of the contract with a contract period of 18 months. However, the commencement date contractor’s request for inclusion of variation of price (VoP) in the contract was concluded; the projected completion date is there 15 March 2013

The consultancy contract was awarded to GIBB African Ltd in association with PROME Consultants Ltd, through a consultancy contract between Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) and GIBB Africa dated 01 November 2010. The consultancy contract appointed GIBB as the Project Manager for the project.

PROJECT DETAILS

Project Location

Mukono-Jinja Road is located in central Uganda starting at the junction with the Kayunga-Jinja Road at Mukono. From Mukono, the road proceeds in an easterly direction through several small towns including Namawajjolo (Km 11 + 000) and Kayanja (Km 15 + 750). Lugazi (Km 23+500) is the only township along the road. After traversing a distance of approximately 30 km, the road passes through the Mabira forest for a distance of 11 km. The next small towns along the road are Mbiko (Km 50+900) and Njeru (Km 53+600). The road terminates at Jinja just before the Owen Falls dam on the river Nile. There are several market centers along the road including Najembe, which in the middle of Mabira forest and Nakibizi at Km 47+700.

The topography of the road corridor is predominantly rolling with a few sections of flat terrain.

The Mukono-Jinja road forms part of the Northern Corridor route, which at the port of Mombasa in Kenya and connect to Rwanda, via Nairobi, Malaba, Jinja, Mukono and Kampala. The Northern Corridor is the main export and import route for the region and serves Kenya, Uganda, Eastern DRC and Southern Sudan.

Scope of Works

The original scope of works consists of the staged reconstruction and rehabilitation of the 52 Km long Mukono-Jinja Road including:

1. i.        Rehabilitation of the existing 7.0m wide carriageway and 2.0m wide shoulder on either side of the road.
2. ii.        Chemical stabilization of the existing base with crushed rock (CRR) material to form the new base across both the carriageway and shoulders.
3. iii.        Drainage works (i.e. cleaning the existing culvert, adding new culverts where necessary, outfall drains, side drains, cut-off drains, etc)
4. iv.        Asphalt concrete construction across the carriageway and surface dressing on the shoulders.
5. v.        Road safety interventions including road marking, installation of traffic signs etc.
6. vi.        Other miscellaneous works necessary for the successful completion of the project.