Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Road construction at John Babiiha avenue will be conducted day and night to enable the contractor to complete the work by December 2020.
Kampala Capital City Authority-KCCA awarded the contract for the construction of the road to China State Construction Engineering Company to conduct the works under the World Bank funded Kampala Institutional Infrastructure Development Project but its progress has been questioned.
According to the KCCA Project Coordinator Eng. Stephen Kibuuka, the contractor has been authorized to carry out night works as soon as possible to achieve delivery of substantial works by December 2020. KCCA wants the carriageway, the walkway and drainage system to be fully constructed and the road operational by December.
Works at the avenue, also known as Acacia Avenue, started in May 2019 and were expected to last 15 months, till August 2020. However, the contractor says torrential rains experienced last year affected the construction that by end of December 2019, they were still transferring utilities, an activity they should have completed in three months after works commenced.
The contractor later resumed works in February 2020 but was again interrupted in March after a declaration of a nationwide lock-down to control the spread of COVID 19- a pandemic that has ravaged the globe. Although construction sites were not closed, the contractor says the suspension of public transport and institution of curfew from 7 pm to 6:30 am affected movement and ultimately work of the team.
In late April, the contractor resumed work under criticism from the public for the slow progress of works. Last week top officials from KCCA toured the road and others under the same project and queried the speed at which works are progressing. They asked the contractor to submit an action plan indicating how they intend to expedite works such that they complete by December 2020.
Eng. Kibuuka says the plan has been submitted to the office of the Executive Director for perusal and consideration. For now, the constructor has only been given a green light to conduct night works despite the 9 pm curfew.
The Avenue structural Engineer Moses Gimeyi says they are mobilizing for lights to light the road before night works kickoff. He says this is the main requirement for night works.
David Mugurusi, the safety manager at the site says apart from lighting, they are also working on the security of the team especially those who will be working in small numbers at isolated spots.
The contractor is still working on the drainage system as the transfer of utilities continues. So far, more progress is only visible at the box culvert at golf club whose construction is close to completion. The contractor has laid pipes in the culvert and is now finishing works on the side of the culvert. They have also created a diversion from Metropole Hotel to Kabojja Junior School as works kick off on the Carriage Way.
John Babiiha Avenue will be made of four lanes with signal junctions including one at the first junction coming from Golf Club, then at the second Junction at Kabojja Junior School junction and the junction at Kira Road.
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