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Kitgum, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Kitgum municipal officials have recommended for re-adjustments on the architectural designs of selected roads and bus park under phase one of the World Bank-funded Uganda Support to Municipal Infrastructural Development Project [USMID] project.
This follows the presentation of draft architectural designs for the selected roads and bus terminal made by Comptran Engineering & Planning Associates, a consultancy firm from Ghana to Kitgum municipal council officials.
The consultancy firm has been undertaking architectural and structural surveys, mapping, traffic counts, and environmental impact assessments on the selected roads since March this year.
But municipal officials say although the draft designs are of good quality, stakeholders have highlighted concerns to the consultant to make spot readjustments.
For instance, on the road design, the consultant had provided installation of solar-powered street lights on the sidewalks of Oneka road that comprised of Ayaa Hellen Dean, Janani Luwum and Abila road all connecting to Uhuru drive road. The design also captured installation of solar street lights in the middle of Kitgum road and Philip Adonga road.
Alfred Alexis Abonga, the Kitgum municipal council engineer however says they have recommended that the design adopted for installation of solar street lights on Kitgum and Philip Adonga roads should instead be used for all the roads.
He notes that the design would enable the provision of parking spaces by the roadsides instead of the middle of the road. Abonga says the consultant has also been advised to make readjustment in their designs to create provision for boda boda stages, litter bins installation and better drainage system crucial for the urban centre.
On the bus terminal designs, the municipal officials have endorsed readjustment of six key features. They include the provision of toilets for male disabled persons, an increment on numbers of restaurants, improved garbage management points, review details on septic and storage tanks.
He notes that others are endorsements on review of security management through installation of CCTV cameras, the establishment of watchtowers and increment of ticket issuance rooms for bus companies.
Kitgum municipal council town clerk Emmanuel Banya says the consultant has been given a formal communication on their concerns that need to be incorporated before the final design is used for actual construction work.
He notes that they anticipate a final draft design will be ready by end of this month, adding that by September this year, they expect to have procured a contractor to commence actual construction works.
Banya says the USMID project is on course and notes actual construction works on the 3.8 kilometres and bus terminal will kick off immediately once the procurement of a contractor is finished.
Government has so far disbursed 8 billion shillings for implementation of the road works in the first quarter that carters for architectural and physical planning component.
According to municipal officials, the final draft reports on assessments made by the consultant and was expected to have been submitted by March 31, 2020, this year to the Lands Ministry but was disrupted by COVID-19 pandemic.
This implies that the project commencement has lagged by almost three months since the officials had anticipated by June this year to have procured a contractor to undertake the roads works.
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