The Entebbe–Kampala Expressway, also known as the "Kampala–Entebbe Expressway" or the "Entebbe–Kampala Highway", is a four-lane toll highway in the Central Region of Uganda. The highway links Entebbe International Airport, the country's largest civilian and military airport, to Kampala, the country's capital and largest metropolitan area. Commissioning was originally planned for 2016 but because of the delayed works, commissioning was done on 15 June 2018 by Uganda's sitting President, Yoweri Museveni.
The Kampala Entebbe Expressway was constructed with the overall strategy of decongesting the Greater Kampala Metropolitan area. It is the first toll road in Uganda and it provides an alternative to the free existing surface road, known as the Kampala–Entebbe Road, or simply Entebbe Road which is narrow, congested, and not sufficient to handle the heavy traffic traversing it. The expressway is gated and in the future vehicles that access it will be pay a toll charge.
History
In 2009, the Government of Uganda began consultations with the Government of the People's Republic of China regarding the construction of a four-lane highway connecting Entebbe and Kampala. In November 2010, the two governments signed an agreement where the Chinese government, through the Exim Bank of China, would lend up to US$350 million for the construction of the highway, repayable over forty years. The contract was awarded to China Communication Construction Company, which also constructed the Soroti-Lira Road. Construction began in 2012.
Construction costs
In 2012, the expressway was estimated to cost US$476 million. Of this, US$350 million is a loan from the Exim Bank of China at 2 percent annual interest. The remaining US$126 million was provided by the GOU. GOU has already, or will provide in the future, another UGX:123 billion to compensate land owners along the expressway route.
Developments
On 21 November 2012, the president of Uganda commissioned the beginning of construction of the highway at a ceremony at Kyengera, along the Kampala-Masaka road. The EastAfrican reported in August 2017 that completion was scheduled for May 2018. The Daily Monitor made a similar report in November 2017. The completed road was commissioned on Friday 15 June 2018. The completed road will have to wait for the installation of toll-paying technology at the payment booths and the passage of the law authoring the building and use of toll roads. A new completion date has been put at 16 November 2018. However, the expressway is open to the public, effective 15 June 2018. It is expected that collection of toll fees on this highway will begin in January 2020.
Points of interest
The following points of interest lie close or near the Entebbe–Kampala Expressway: the town of Entebbe in Wakiso District the settlement of Abayita Ababiri in Wakiso District the community of Akright City in Wakiso District settlement of Kabojja in Wakiso District neighborhood of Busega in Lubaga Division in the city of Kampala, where the highway will join the Kampala Northern Bypass Highway neighborhood of Kajjansi in Wakiso District, where an arm of the highway will branch off to Munyonyo, on the northern shores of Lake Victoria the suburb of Munyonyo in Makindye Division, in Kampala, where an arm of the highway will end.
