Road repairs quick update

Ministry of Transport and Roads, Southern Sudan road protection barriers circular (pdf): Click here to read

a. Kaya-Faraksika.

The road section from Kaya to Kombo is in poor repair due to movement of traffic in the wet. There are still no weigh bridges and traffic is routinely overloaded. It has been reported trucking companies are moving loads from two Lorries to one at the border to reduce their costs, but obviously increasing axle loads to unacceptable levels. Bandame Bridge continues to fail, WFP will carry out emergency repairs to the deck but it is still hoped that UNOPS will be able to launch the UNMIS bridge with USAID funding.

b. Faraksika – Rumbek.

Maintenance works are ongoing along this road. No major problems seen this month.

c. Yei-Juba

5 bridge decks that failed in May were repaired by mid July. The maintenance contract is due to be signed in August for this road.

d. Nimule – Juba.

The contract has been completed. This road requires a maintenance contract urgently. Warnings of Kit river bridge collapse are even more urgent now. The bridge deck has been badly damaged, and it is only a matter of time before it collapses due to structural instability. A further four bridges are also in need of urgent deck replacement, one of which has now shut the road completely near Nimule. After consultation with MOTR WFP will not carry any more works on this road, and further maintenance/upgrading will be carried out by Louis Berger under USAID funding.

e. Rumbek – Shambe.

The contractor has performed poorly on this road and is very behind schedule. The road Payii to Shambe will not be usable in this wet season, but efforts have been made to open the road up to Nyang to facilitate returnee movement for IOM.

f. Rumbek-Tonj.

This contract is complete. Maintenance contract will be signed in July 2007.

g. Tonj-Wau.

This contract is ongoing, with approximately 80km completed to date.

h. Jekou Bridge.

This contract was complete in 2006, and includes a bridge and 20km road access to link Gambella to Jekou.

i. Narus- Juba.

The road contractor has stopped due to insecurity past Liria, and lack of funds to continue. Approximately 40km remain to be graveled. A maintenance contract for the section Kapoeta to Juba will be signed in August 2007.

j. Juba-Bor.

The original contract finished end of February 2007. A maintenance contract will be signed in August 2007, and will include the remaining 70km of gravelling.

k. Bor Dikes and roads.

The road Mabior-Maar has been completed and work has started on the North Bor dikes. Already damage has again been caused on these roads by Oil companies. WFP is in consultation with MOTR who have reacted strongly and cautioned the companies involved. It is important Barriers are implemented ASAP in this area.

l. Nadapal-Kapoeta Maintenance.

The section Nadapal to Narus road is now repaired. Routine maintenance is ongoing along the section Narus-Kapoeta.

m. Wau-Abyei.

Work progresses from Kwajok South and North, despite major obstacles on materials present. GoSS has funded another 4.5 million $ which will fund the road to Wunrok at Lol River. UNOPS will be placing a permanent crossing at Lol river, and WFP will continue to liaise with UNOPS on possible joint work.

n. Mabior-Malakal.

Bush clearing along the road has commenced from Mabior to Duk Padiet. Assistance from local authorities and organization along the road will be crucial when passing through areas north of Duk to Malakal.

Constraints.

Insecurity.
Where possible we have been using SPLA forces to protect Contractors working along the roads, and have had difficulty using the UNMIS forces due to their inability to be able to deploy into the field overnight. Intertribal fighting near Sudan Safri on the juba-Bor road also affected work north of bor.

Increasing incidents of ad-hoc stoppages and fees being levied along the roads has also been noted recently.

Axle load / weight limitations:

Roads failed in the ’06 rainy season without these in place. Heavily overloaded trucks are the norm in South Sudan, axle loads of over 22T have been found by WFP staff, and a disregard by most transporters to take care of the roads in the wet have led to wholesale destruction in places. It must be remembered that large sections of road have now been through two or in some cases three rainy seasons without maintenance – due to lack of or late funding.

WFP has limited its axle load limitations for its transporters, and has placed information signboards along roads indicating recommended axle load regulations. This has been done in consultation with the GoSS Ministry of Transport and Roads, and with various State ministries of Infrastructure. There is as of yet no means of regulation at the moment and this is another pressing issue.

At present there are still no weigh bridges in country, and WFP is now seeing damage being done to roads on a daily basis. Probably the biggest cause of problems is the overloaded fuel delivery tankers – routinely carrying over 60,000l fuel.

Barriers:
WFP has initiated a barrier system, with a basic design for a barrier to be put in place and manned by State Govt. to close the roads when wet.
All barriers have been manufactured and 100% delivered to final destination.

50 barriers have been delivered to sites and so far 5 number have been installed but are so far not manned.

Bridges.
Over the past few months there have been numerous cases of problems with bridges. A number of these have been on roads with WFP contractors, and dealt with, others have fallen outside our current scope of works and are briefly described below, as well as actions taken;

1. Yei-Juba road. Complete.
2. Kimbe Bridge (outside Yei to airport). The deck and structural members have failed. WFP has designed a new bridge and instructed a diversion to be put in place. Diversion complete.
3. Bhar Naam bridge (Rumbek to Yirol road). Failed panels competed, but further panels now showing signs of failure and will need replacing.
4. Bandame. This bridge has failed several times, and WFP has carried out minor repairs to keep traffic moving until UNOPS fix the UNMIS donated bridge.
5. WFP will continue to repair bridges that fail where we are mandated to do so by the MOTR, and are currently looking to purchase more materials for emergency repairs to bridges – such as Culverts, bailey-bridge parts and steel stock. Recent meetings with UNMIS have led to requests for materials such as culverts and stabilizer. UNMIS are looking at their stock to see what could be supplied.