Feasibility Study & Detailed Engineering Design for Kampala – Jinja Expressway, Uganda

Key facts:

Feasibility study, Traffic study, Route options analysis, Environmental and social consideration, twelve (12) Grade separated junctions, Resettlement action Plan, Detailed design of 76.8Km of the urban and rural motorway.

Project Background

The Government of Uganda committed to fund a sizeable programme of works in the coming years under UNRA vote 113.

The road forms a component of the vital international highway connecting Uganda to the port of Mombasa on the Kenyancoast. Moreover, this international highway also functions as the primary transit corridor for transportation of imports via Kenya and Uganda to other land-locked countries beyond Uganda, primary amongst which are Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi and Southern Sudan.

Between the commencement and termination nodes the Project traverses four of Uganda’s administrative districts, namely Kampala, Wakiso, Mukono and Buikwe, and the existing Kampala – Jinja road passes through the major towns of Mukono and Lugazi and many other lesser towns.

Scope of work:

Feasibility study and detailed engineering design for a new tolled freeway from Kampala, capital of Uganda to the second biggest town of Jinja 76.8 km in easterly direction of the capital. The project comprises of a divided 8-lane new road over the 4 km, 6-lane to Mukono town and 4-lane road between Mukono to end of Project in Jinja town. The design included 12 interchanges and link roads to all major towns along the road, 90 bridges including Roads over Bridges and crossing of water structures, fencing throughout the length of the road, lighting and toll plazas. Economic feasibility study, traffic surveys and modelling, topographic surveys, geotechnical surveys, bridge designs, socio-economic surveys and resettlement action plans and Environmental and Social Impact Assessment.

Detailed Description of Actual Services Provided by ICS:

• Initial development of a number of potential corridor options for the manner in which the capacity improvement between Kampala and Jinja may be implemented.
• Detailed feasibility study and preliminary engineering of 3 potential route options for the new alignment
• Detailed engineering design of chosen options for the new route alignment for the Expressway
• Preparation of Resettlement Action Plan including socio-economic surveys and public consultations
• Detailed topographic, geotechnical, and hydrological surveys including materials source studies
• Detailed highway and bridge design including toll plaza studies and layout design
• Preparation of land acquisition schedules and plans
• Preparation of tender documents for international competitive bidding under FIDIC conditions of contract
• Analysis of unit rates and preparation of detailed engineering cost estimates based on final BoQ
• Multicriteria economic evaluation, risk analysis, road safety evaluation, traffic surveys and modelling using SATURN

Environmental and Social Impact Assessment

The main purpose of the ESIA was to examine, analyse and assess the impacts (negative and positive) of the proposed development on the overall environment of the area with a view to ensuring that:

• The project was environmentally sound and socially acceptable;
• The project was in conformity with the provisions of the National Environment Act Cap. 153, 1995. Indeed, other relevant Government Policies, Laws and Regulations were also taken into account; and
• The Project was in conformity to the operational safeguards of Uganda’s Major Development Partners;

Tolling Concept:

For tolling of the motorway section of the Project it was necessary to install primary toll stations on the main motorway at each extremity of the entire tolled section. In the Consultants opinion, these stations would be positioned at physically suitable locations. The remaining [subsidiary] tolling stations would be placed at each of the intermediate access Junctions.