Latest news with #roadprojects
Zawya
31-07-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Road projects suspended amidst funding crisis
At least 27 major road and bridge projects across Uganda have been suspended or drastically slowed down due to a crippling government funding shortfall, the Minister of Works and Transport, Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala, has told Parliament. The Minister, who presented to Parliament a statement on the state of roads in the country, on Wednesday, 30 July 2025, attributed this to delayed payments and land acquisition issues, affecting projects like the Masindi-Biiso and Kabale-Kiziranfumbi oil roads, Kampala-Mpigi Expressway, and Kampala-Jinja Highway. 'As of July 2025, 27 projects have been affected by either full suspension or significant reduction in progress. These include 18 fully funded by the Government of Uganda, where contractors have suspended or slowed down works due to delayed payments, and nine externally financed projects, where delays are primarily attributed to the Government's inability to provide timely counterpart funding,' he said. The funding shortfall is attributed to a massive gap of Shs2.472 trillion in the financial year 2025/2026 where only Shs682 billion of the required Shs3.153 trillion was provided. The government is also carrying over Shs1.071 trillion in arrears from previous years, accumulating commercial interest and monthly cost claims from contractors. The situation is further complicated by land acquisition issues, with Shs443 billion needed for compensation and enabling access to sites, which has grounded externally funded projects. 'The cumulative effect of these suspensions and delays has led to slow absorption of project resources, exposure to financial claims, risk of asset deterioration, and reputational concerns,' he stated. The minister said that Uganda's road infrastructure is deteriorating rapidly, with 1,993 kilometers requiring urgent periodic maintenance and 260 kilometers needing rehabilitation. 'If not implemented, these roads degrade and instead require rehabilitation which costs about Shs2.59 billion per kilometer three times the periodic maintenance cost,' he warned adding that 'This could result in a preventable fiscal loss of up to Shs180 billion.' Gen. Katumba warned that if not urgently addressed, these disruptions will compromise Uganda's ability to deliver critical national infrastructure and maintain the existing network. The minister called for urgent financial intervention, emphasizing the importance of the road network to economic growth, regional integration, and service delivery. Despite the urgency of the situation, Parliament was unable to hold a substantive debate on the matter after it emerged that none of the ministers from the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development were present to respond to the funding concerns raised in the report. Government Chief Whip, Hon. Hamson Obua informed the House that the responsible ministers were all away on official engagements. Speaker Anita Among insisted that the Chief Whip must take responsibility. 'That is your role as Government Chief Whip; you are the one supposed to ensure members are in the House. This is not for debate. Whip, we shall hold you accountable,' she said. The Speaker deferred the debate on the statement to Tuesday, 05 August 2025. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
GDOT's plans to replace two historic Col. Co. bridges could impact your commute on Washington Road
EVANS, Ga. (WJBF) – Two upcoming road projects could impact your commute if you're driving around Columbia County. The Georgia Department of Transportation is planning to replace two old bridges on Washington Road. The Little Kiokee Creek Bridge and the Kiokee Creek Bridge are two 50-year-old bridges in need of repair, but G-DOT is currently working on the best way to do that and accommodate workers and drivers. Drivers have been using both bridges since they were built in 1971—and GDOT says it's time for a replacement. 'They're classified as scour-critical, and what that means is whenever we have a rain event, our roads weigh at the bridge little by little,' said District 2 Communications Specialist Will Volk. To get the word out, GDOT sent letters to homeowners in the area about the project. But the original plan, recommended by a contractor, called to shut down up to 20 miles of Washington Road for construction. 'The reason for that alternative is because it saves time—we could get both of those bridges replaced in a year, versus maybe two years if we have to do an on-site detour. It's safer for the crews too, but shutting down Washington Road for that long is unrealistic,' Volk said. They're now looking at other options to accommodate workers and drivers, including building a temporary bridge next to the ones needing replacing. 'That has it's benefits, because then we don't have to introduce a curve into the road once it's on that permanent configuration—-you see right now that it's straight away,' said Volk. The other option is to keep traffic on both bridges and build the new bridges right next to it. 'But, the problem with that is we'd have to introduce a curve into the road once it gets on to the permanent configuration. Right now, we're just weighing our options, and figuring out which one is better. Either way, you're going to have two bridges side by side, and traveling will stay on one of them.' Homeowners who did not want to be on camera say it's a cause for concern that they'll be on the lookout for. In the meantime, GDOT is now taking public feedback to take the best course of action for everyone. 'Either way, we're inconveniencing people. We just feel like it'll be better to keep traffic on Washington Road, instead of them having to go way out the way—even if that would have been quicker,' said Volk. He reiterates while the bridges need to be replaced, they are still safe to drive on. GDOT has yet to start construction because they need to finalize plans and buy more land if they move forward with building a temporary bridge. They hope to start the bridge replacement in 2028 or 2029. For more information on this project, you can find it on the Georgia Department of Transportation's website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
The Independent
08-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Road schemes will ‘probably' be finished in under a decade
Three long-awaited road projects will 'probably' be completed in less than a decade, the Transport Secretary has said after giving construction the green light following a hold-up. Heidi Alexander was unable to give a concrete timeline for when the schemes involving junction upgrades and dualling at key locations across Britain will be delivered, but said further details would be published in a strategy next March. The Government on Tuesday announced the revival of major road and rail projects outside London and the South East, backed by £92 billion from last month's spending review. Most have been in the works for several years and many have already received planning permission, but their future was thrown into doubt last year when Labour announced a review of transport infrastructure projects. In a statement to Parliament, then-transport secretary Louise Haigh accused the Tories of leaving a £2.9 billion gap between improvements it had promised and what it had funded. Almost a year after launching its internal review, the Government will now press on with five major road schemes, five rail projects and 28 smaller road schemes, which it says will cut journey times, ease congestion, create jobs and support new housing. These include a widening of the A66 Trans-Pennine route, first proposed in 2016, the M54-M6 link, and junction improvements in places like Derby around the A38. Asked whether the projects would be delivered within five years, Ms Alexander told Sky News most would 'start construction' within that period but take 'varying lengths of time.' Pressed on whether they were in fact decade-long schemes, the minister replied: 'I don't believe that they will take a decade to deliver, no. 'I think they will be delivered more swiftly than that, but it is true to say that these are very significant schemes which will take a number of years to deliver, probably not stretching out as far as 10 years.' She said estimates for when the three projects will finish are to be published when the Government releases its road investment strategy in March. Preparatory work for some of the schemes has continued despite the pause, but Tuesday's announcement means they can now proceed in full. The reopening of the railway between Portishead and Bristol, which has been the subject of a 25-year campaign, has also been given the green light. The A66 upgrade was given planning permission in March 2024, but was delayed by an ultimately unsuccessful legal challenge and put on hold by the new Government's review. Construction is now expected to start this winter. Former prime minister Rishi Sunak, whose constituency is served by the A66, welcomed the announcement, saying it would improve 'journey reliability'. The Portishead line, reopening a railway that was closed in the 1960s, was also thrown into question by the review, but then West of England mayor Dan Norris announced funding had been secured in February this year. On Tuesday, the Government announced it would invest another £27 million in the project, which it said would 'connect an additional 50,000 people' and support 'a significant new housing development'. Other major road schemes confirmed on Tuesday include the M54-M6 link, the M60 Simister Island junction near Manchester, the A38 Derby junctions and improvements to the A46 Newark bypass. Both the Simister Island and Newark bypass projects are yet to receive planning permission. The Government has also confirmed its commitment to build new stations at Wellington and Cullompton in the South West and Haxby in Yorkshire, which had all been part of the Conservatives' Restoring Your Railway project that was scrapped when Labour came to power. Funding for the stations, along with the Midlands Rail Hub plan to add 300 trains a day to the West Midlands network, was previously announced at last month's spending review. Other, smaller, schemes include improvements to the Middlewich Eastern Bypass, in Cheshire, and the A382 between Drumbridges and Newton Abbot, in Devon. Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the investments were 'long overdue' and would 'transform local communities and improve living standards across the country'. Ms Alexander said: 'Transport is the backbone of our economy, which is why we are giving them the record funding boost they need, putting taxpayers' money where it matters most and making everyday journeys easier.' But the Conservatives accused the Government of using the announcement as a 'distraction tactic'. Shadow transport secretary Gareth Bacon said: 'Labour are re-announcing projects that are already under way in order to distract from their failing economic strategy of high tax and high borrowing. They just don't have a plan. 'Rachel Reeves's catastrophic economic mismanagement and Keir Starmer's total inability to control his own party has led to a string of unfunded U-turns, meaning that more tax rises are coming.'
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Road schemes will ‘probably' be finished in under a decade
Three long-awaited road projects will 'probably' be completed in less than a decade, the Transport Secretary has said after giving construction the green light following a hold-up. Heidi Alexander was unable to give a concrete timeline for when the schemes involving junction upgrades and dualling at key locations across Britain will be delivered, but said further details would be published in a strategy next March. The Government on Tuesday announced the revival of major road and rail projects outside London and the South East, backed by £92 billion from last month's spending review. Most have been in the works for several years and many have already received planning permission, but their future was thrown into doubt last year when Labour announced a review of transport infrastructure projects. In a statement to Parliament, then-transport secretary Louise Haigh accused the Tories of leaving a £2.9 billion gap between improvements it had promised and what it had funded. Almost a year after launching its internal review, the Government will now press on with five major road schemes, five rail projects and 28 smaller road schemes, which it says will cut journey times, ease congestion, create jobs and support new housing. These include a widening of the A66 Trans-Pennine route, first proposed in 2016, the M54-M6 link, and junction improvements in places like Derby around the A38. Asked whether the projects would be delivered within five years, Ms Alexander told Sky News most would 'start construction' within that period but take 'varying lengths of time.' Pressed on whether they were in fact decade-long schemes, the minister replied: 'I don't believe that they will take a decade to deliver, no. 'I think they will be delivered more swiftly than that, but it is true to say that these are very significant schemes which will take a number of years to deliver, probably not stretching out as far as 10 years.' She said estimates for when the three projects will finish are to be published when the Government releases its road investment strategy in March. Preparatory work for some of the schemes has continued despite the pause, but Tuesday's announcement means they can now proceed in full. The reopening of the railway between Portishead and Bristol, which has been the subject of a 25-year campaign, has also been given the green light. The A66 upgrade was given planning permission in March 2024, but was delayed by an ultimately unsuccessful legal challenge and put on hold by the new Government's review. Construction is now expected to start this winter. Former prime minister Rishi Sunak, whose constituency is served by the A66, welcomed the announcement, saying it would improve 'journey reliability'. The Portishead line, reopening a railway that was closed in the 1960s, was also thrown into question by the review, but then West of England mayor Dan Norris announced funding had been secured in February this year. On Tuesday, the Government announced it would invest another £27 million in the project, which it said would 'connect an additional 50,000 people' and support 'a significant new housing development'. Other major road schemes confirmed on Tuesday include the M54-M6 link, the M60 Simister Island junction near Manchester, the A38 Derby junctions and improvements to the A46 Newark bypass. Both the Simister Island and Newark bypass projects are yet to receive planning permission. The Government has also confirmed its commitment to build new stations at Wellington and Cullompton in the South West and Haxby in Yorkshire, which had all been part of the Conservatives' Restoring Your Railway project that was scrapped when Labour came to power. Funding for the stations, along with the Midlands Rail Hub plan to add 300 trains a day to the West Midlands network, was previously announced at last month's spending review. Other, smaller, schemes include improvements to the Middlewich Eastern Bypass, in Cheshire, and the A382 between Drumbridges and Newton Abbot, in Devon. Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the investments were 'long overdue' and would 'transform local communities and improve living standards across the country'. Ms Alexander said: 'Transport is the backbone of our economy, which is why we are giving them the record funding boost they need, putting taxpayers' money where it matters most and making everyday journeys easier.' But the Conservatives accused the Government of using the announcement as a 'distraction tactic'. Shadow transport secretary Gareth Bacon said: 'Labour are re-announcing projects that are already under way in order to distract from their failing economic strategy of high tax and high borrowing. They just don't have a plan. 'Rachel Reeves's catastrophic economic mismanagement and Keir Starmer's total inability to control his own party has led to a string of unfunded U-turns, meaning that more tax rises are coming.'
Times
29-06-2025
- Business
- Times
Roads budget increased for National Development Plan
The development of important road projects will be accelerated in changes to government policy from that of the previous coalition. Final talks on the review of the national development plan will take place in the next fortnight, with an extra €20 billion expected to be allocated for infrastructure on top of the existing €165 billion. A source said stalled projects would be fast-tracked as the roads budget would be given 'certainty and stability'. Under the previous version, negotiated when the Green Party was in government, there was a two-to-one split in favour of public transport over road projects, and Eamon Ryan, the former Green leader and transport minister, said some projects would not go ahead. A senior government source said this weekend that 'we are not governed by ratios the way we were before' and the overall roads budget would benefit from 'more certainty and stability' than was previously the case.
