Kibugabuga-Shinga-Gasoro Road construction supervision, Rwanda

Project summary

The Kibugabuga–Shinga–Gasoro Road is a part of the vital international corridor in Rwanda aimed at connecting the Central Corridor of the Republic of Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo through the Eastern and Southern provinces of Rwanda. Nicholas O’Dwyer provided construction and maintenance administration and supervision of the works to national standards.

The background

The Kibugabuga–Shinga–Gasoro Road is part of Rwanda’s national road network. It links districts across the Eastern and Southern provinces and forms a key cross‑country corridor. Before its upgrade, the route existed as an older, largely unpaved gravel road that provided a basic connection between communities. The poor road surface condition made it unsafe, slow, unreliable and vulnerable to weather, with limited resilience during rainy seasons.

The road was identified as a priority infrastructure investment and a programme was launched with World Bank support to rehabilitate and upgrade approximately 130 km to a paved standard under the Lake Victoria Transport Program. The project upgrades the Kibugabuga–Shinga–Gasoro road to improve connectivity with the Central Corridor via Rwanda, reduce transport costs and strengthen regional trade links with Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Delivered for the Rwanda Transport Development Agency, Nicholas O’Dwyer’s services covered the design review, construction administration and supervision over 70 months followed by contract administration and supervision during the 60‑month maintenance period under an output- and performance‑based road contract to bring the route up to national standards.

The challenges

The contract was output- and performance-based. This form of contract focuses on the final quality and service level of the road (e.g., smoothness, friction, lack of potholes, replacement of knocked-over road signs) and the contractor carries out the road design according to set requirements, whereas a traditional employer-designed contract focuses on building exactly what the employer specifies in detailed engineering drawings.

The upgraded road followed the alignment of the existing road, with densely populated settlements adjacent. This presented specific challenges such as ensuring that access to all properties was maintained, employing effective traffic management measures and protecting adjacent agricultural land from siltation due to fine material being washed from the work areas during construction. Another challenge was the steep and hilly topography of the landscape.

The solutions

To deliver this service, Nicholas O’Dwyer partnered with Prisma Consulting, a local engineering company. Our expertise in delivering international projects of this scale combined with Prisma Consulting’s local knowledge of customs, procedures and culture ensured successful project delivery.

Nicholas O’Dwyer adjusted its standard road construction supervision methodology to include specific procedures to address the additional challenges presented by the contract type. Our standard methodology focuses on procedures to deal with the contract administration and supervision or road projects where the design is carried out by the employer prior to the engagement of a works contractor. This assignment required us to include procedures in our methodology that covered reviewing the contractor’s road design and its suitability for the maintenance requirements of the road.

Sections of the road where the design would require excessive land take or an unfeasible amount of earthworks were identified and the design requirements adjusted to optimise the overall design and implementation of the road. Traffic calming and speed reduction measures were incorporated into the works to ensure that a safe road was delivered.

The impact

The completion of this road marks a transformative milestone as one of the first asphalt main roads directly linking Rwanda’s Eastern and Southern regions. It also improves access to the new Bugesera International Airport site, reducing journey times and stimulating agricultural activity in the region.

The road means that more efficient, safer movement is possible in the region. It provides all-weather access, lowering logistics costs and boosting economic activity along the corridor.

Since the upgraded road was opened to the public, the traffic using it has increased substantially and will continue to do so as further development occurs and employment opportunities are created.

The road pavement was designed to last at least 20 years, thereby ensuring that the facility provided will serve not only the local communities along the road but also international traffic using it for a very long time before major intervention will be required again.