Adjumani Town Council officials in a discussion with Rock Trust Contractor MD Eng Ssembatya Francis along Market road (Photo/Amacha Goli)
Adjumani, (UG):- The waiting for the delivery of the upgrading of the 3, 1 kilometers’ roads in Adjumani Town Council will have to continue for 9 extra months, the MD (Managing Director) Rock Trust Eng. Francis Ssembatya has said.
The multi-billion road is funded by World Bank under the USMID-AF (Uganda Support for Municipal Infrastructure Development) project, executed by Rock Trust Contractors Ltd which signed an agreement with Adjumani District Local Government for upgrading 3.1 kilometres of road to asphalt at the contract sum of 10.273.496.747 shillings.
The roads cover the Administration Road which is 1.43km, Illa Road 0.66km, Market Road 1.09km, a carriage-way and solar-powered street lights on both sides and walkways on the drainage.
In a recent joint site press briefing with Adjumani Town Council Chairperson Mr. Mangapi Lawrence along Market Road, Eng. Ssembatya, it was revealed that the road design that was prepared by AB Consults Uganda has several technical imperfections that culminated in an increased scope of work.
The chairman was however quick to reiterate that the road project will be delivered as per the amended design and avowed the 3.1 km road stretch worth shs 10.3bn will be concluded in May 2025, despite the initial; deadline being December 31, 2023.
The Rock Trust boss pointed out that the road design did not provide for; adequate rock fields, or geo-grid, and provided for only 200 cm for the excavation of the swampy section along market road whereas the adequate depth is 2 meters, and notes that generally, the scope of works increased four times.
“The market road stretches 1.08 kilometres, ‘and the constructions’ of the two huge box culverts on the road has been completed and the rock fill is on the verge of conclusion but when the rock fill is completed, we shall put crushed rock (CCR) and then apply geotextile material which is like the blanket for separating the gravel on top and the rock”. Eng., Ssembatya Explains.
“When that is done that road will be lifted off with the gravel fill of an average of four meters height, we shall then put the pavement layers and the asphalt, however, the geo-grid material provided between the two massive box culverts was also not provided for in the design and the client could equally not afford the extra cost it due to insufficient funds”
Why six months for the rocks and gravels to consolidate?
Eng. Ssembatya candidly explained that “for the gravel to hold the rocks in one position it should lie on the geo-grid material because the ground is very soft with clay soil therefore, if you put the rocks and apply the gravel without the geo-grid material the rocks might disappear and because the loads need to be evenly distributed along the section of the road which is 330 meters, it should be given adequate time frame and six months is deemed suitable”. He additionally clarified.
“After the consolidation of the road section without geogrid we shall then apply the sub base and finally asphalt which takes another 3 months”.
He said, the 0.9km, Illa Road stretch has been rectified after a misleading instruction based on the design, the first design provided for removing the existing surface seal but the material underneath was proved unsuitable after a test and then they excavated down up to 0.5 meters for a gravel fill.
On the buried culvert along the same road, Eng. Ssembatya said the discharge location was provided for because the option is to direct the drain 200 meters away but it needed extra money which the client (Adjumani district local government) was not willing to pay.
Administration Road works await pavement layers
The progress on the road stretch on administration road according to the contractor is promising, the box culvert is finished, the works on the underground culverts accomplished but it also delayed because we had to ferry aggregates from Lira, and cement from Tororo while we managed to get rocks from within.
The approach slab was not in the original design, we had to redesign to stop the occurrence of settlement, the two road, Illa and administration roads are at sub-base level meaning it awaits final smidgeons.
We could not get aggregates in Adjumani though we have the raw materials or stones but it would not be viable to establish a commercial aggregate crushing site because the cost would be high for a 3-kilometre road project, “we cannot invest in a crusher machine for a 3.1kn road”
“Currently the road progress stands at 70%and the special extension period granted by USMID is ending on October 23, 2024, and by time the work progress would move up to 85%”.
“Am quite sure the work will be completed because the 6 months initial contract duration was a hoax it is not realistic on road works of this magnitude”.
World Bank officials meet district leaders over delays
In a tense meeting held in the office of RDC on August 21, 2024, with a team from World Bank and technical officers from the Ministry of Lands and Urban Development, the Adjumani district Eng. Nick Afayo in his project status report stated the progress was at 70% as of June 30, 2024, when pinioned by World Bank officials if there was no progress to date, he reneged on his statement putting the 70% progress as of August 21, 2024..
Though the meeting resolved that the contract be given an extension of up to October 23, 2024, for completion of the project the MD Rock Trust Eng., Ssembatya said it is factually not possible because the scope of works of the project has increased four epochs without additional funding and blamed the consultants Hersun and Segamu over undue delay and bringing in changes time and again.
Speaker Among intervenes.
During the regional parliamentary sitting in Gulu City on August 28, 2024, Adjumani woman MP Ababiku Jesca raised the matter of the long-dragging roads contract under USMID AF. The speaker of parliament Hon. Anita Among ordered the government chief whip to take up the matter and submit a report in his office.
The Government Chief Whip Mr Hamson Obua has in effect instructed the officials from the ministries of Works and Transport, Local government, Lands and Urban Development to move to Adjumani on September 11, 2024, to ascertain the genuine picture of the work progress.
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