Kampala, Uganda | URN | Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) has announced plans to divert traffic from the Clock Tower junction along Entebbe road for two months starting January 14th up to March 14th, 2023.
In its statement issued Monday 9, January 2023, UNRA advises motorists from Entebbe to use the Lubiri Ring road and Lubaga road to access the city center, whereas those from Ggaba road will go through Mukwano road.
Motorists from the Usafi area and around Mengo hill road will access the city center using Ben Kiwanuka road as well as other access routes as opposed to the Queen’s way junction. Lawrence Pario, the UNRA head of the Kampala flyover project told this publication in a telephone interview that this arrangement is aimed at paving way for the final works of the project set to be commissioned in March.
“These temporary road diversions are for final touches such that the flyover is done by March. We are also going to upgrade the old roads in this place,” he said. According to Pario, the stretch between the Shell clock tower and Nakasero mosque will be closed. The Sikh road will be only allowed to motorists from the city center.
“Traffic going out of the City Center will not be affected, we will change them from the side which is not yet worked on to the other which is done,” he said. This is Uganda’s first-ever flyover costing up to USD 200 million, stretching 3.5 kilometers within the city center. The works by the Japanese International Corporation commenced in 2018 and were expected to be completed in December last year.
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This flyover (Clock Tower junction along Entebbe road) is expected to ease the traffic congestion in this part of the city, which is one of the most used routes since it connects to Entebbe International Airport from the City Center. However, motorists who regularly use this road, have different concerns about the proposed traffic diversion.
Ephraim Tugume, a taxi driver plying the Kampala-Entebbe route says that these diversions will greatly affect their operations because they will increase the distance of travel.
Mohamad Kawooya, the Usafi Taxi park spokesperson says that though they need the development, this project has inconvenienced their operations since it started and has caused them unexpected expenses.
He also calls the project implementer to expedite the works to save them the losses they incur through increased fuel consumption due to the long distances they are diverted.
