UNRA to upgrade Bishop Tucker road

BY ARTHUR MATSIKO 

The Uganda National Roads A u t h o r i t y (UNRA) will upgrade the tarmac road from the Bishop Tucker stage to Bugujju trading centre, The Standard has learnt.

This follows a request by the Vice Chancellor, Dr John Senyonyi, to UNRA’s Director Allen Kagina on June 27, 2015 requesting for the upgrading of the above mentioned road.

In her response to the vice chancellor’s request, Kagina, on August 6, 2015, wrote: “This is to advise you that the repairs on this particular road will be considered under routine and mechanized maintenance in the second quarter of this financial year 2015/2016.”

Recently, Abel Kaahwa, the Director for Facilities and Capital Projects at Uganda Christian University (UCU) met with officials at UNRA to discuss this project and when it would commence.

According to documents accessed by The Standard, Shs12 million (for materials only) was obtained internally by UNRA in the last quarter of the 2015/2016 financial year for filling in the potholes and any other minor repairs for the 2km stretch road.

Although it is not yet clear as to when repairs would begin on the 8-meter-wide road, no properties or persons would be affected by this project.

The Deputy Vice Chancellor for Development and External Relations, David Mugawe has said that UNRA is considering working on the road in three phases, and the first phase will be filling in potholes. Later, the road will be widened by a one-meter shoulder on either side, to make a nine-meter-wide paved road. In the future, there are plans to widen the road further by having a paved carriage way of eight meters, shoulders and a road reserve totaling to 15 meters from the center.

It should also be noted that UNRA is decongesting Kampala and the road from Jokas Hotel to Bishop Tucker stage is among those to be worked on. Ironically, as the authority decongests Kampala, it is directly congesting other town such as Mukono.

Mr Mugawe suggests that UNRA should at least find another point outside Mukono town where traffic could be directed into the main Jinja highway.

“Besides the benefits that come with upgraded roads such as improved drainage systems, we are afraid that since the Technology Park is close to the road, demolishing the buildings would not raise enough funds, through compensation, to erect new ones,” Mugawe said.

He added that the road would also affect the new pitch and the main gate. “We welcome the idea but the safety and security of our students is essential. For example, humps and a flyover when this road has been widened will be useful.”

A technical team from UNRA is already surveying the road and details will be released to the community members that will be affected by the road works.