KURA

PRELIMINARY FEASIBILITY STUDY

Kenya Urban Roads Authority

Consultancy Services for Preliminary Feasibility study, Environmental and Social Impact study and Preliminary Engineering design of Machakos and Kitui Town Roads.

Project Details

CLIENT: Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA

PROJECT SPONSOR: Government of Kenya

DURATION: 2017-2018

BACKGROUND

Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) is mandated with Development, Rehabilitation and Maintenance of National Urban Trunk Roads in various counties within Kenya.

The agency strategic direction is towards a world class urban road network for sustainable development and to provide and manage quality, safe and adequate urban road network.

The Government of Kenya (GoK) mobilized resources through the Development Vote and applied a portion of the proceeds to fund the services of a consultant to carry out feasibility studies, environmental and social impacts assessments study and preliminary engineering design of Kitui and Machakos roads. The projects involved a study to establish all the necessary data and information on the engineering, economy, environmental and social aspects of upgrading the roads. This was to aid in making a decision on whether to upgrade the roads to bitumen standards and consequently source for funds.

THE ASSIGNMENT

The assignment was Consultancy Services for Preliminary Feasibility study, Environmental and Social Impact study and Preliminary Engineering design of Machakos and Kitui Town Roads. This contract was assigned to the consortium comprised of ACAL consulting and Pleng Limited with the main objective of informing the Government of Kenya (GoK) through its agency, KURA, on the engineering, economic, environmental and social aspects of upgrading the study roads.

ACAL’s Multidisciplinary team conducted  traffic studies and analysis, geotechnical surveys, hydrological analysis of bridges and drainage structures, topographical surveys and geometric design of the roads, socio economic review of the areas served by the selected roads, preliminary engineering design, cost estimations, social and poverty assessment, Environmental impact assessment and safeguards, and Economic evaluation.

SCOPE OF SERVICES OFFERED

  1. Assessment of Technical  and Economic viability of upgrading  11 and 9 Roads in Kitui and Machakos Roads Respectively.
  2. Preliminary Engineering designs
  3. Environmental and Social Impact Assessments

IMPACT

  1. Promotion and facilitation of traffic movement within and around Kitui and Machakos towns
  2. Increased mobility, divert through traffic from the town centres and  will serve the expansion needs of the towns.
  3. The report informed the Government of Kenya (GoK) on the engineering, economic, environmental and social aspects of upgrading the roads.

APPROACH

Under the consultancy the Consultant expeditiously executed the necessary tasks required in the mobilization, data collection, investigation, evaluation and up-dating all required topographic, demographic, socio-economic, agro-ecological, hydrological, environmental and other data and information of the project, traffic studies and forecasts, evaluation and analysis of all socio-economic aspects, carrying of Preliminary Engineering Design and evaluation and analysis of all technical and technological aspects, and Evaluation and analysis of all relevant financial aspects and also cost estimates. ACAL performed the following activities :

  • Collection of social, economic, environmental, operating, and physical data that was  necessary to support conclusions about the technical feasibility and socio-economic viability of upgrading the roads
  • Review of the existing data on the proposed roads upgrading project and social and economic activities in the project study area;
  • Description of the road with regard to its geographic, ecological and social.
  • Review the policy, legal and administrative framework within which the assessment was  carried out including Kenyans environment protection regulations, Environmental suitability and sustainability of road construction projects
  • Concise description of the baseline environment of the study area with regard to relevant Physical, biological, socio-economic and labor conditions including any anticipated changes before the start of the project
  • Determination of the social and environmental impacts and risks (including labor, health and safety) of the proposed rehabilitation/improvement works. And proposed relevant and appropriate mitigation and management measures.
  • Development of Action Plan and Management System which describes and priorities the actions needed to implement mitigation measures, corrective actions and monitoring measures necessary to manage the impacts and risks identified in the Assessment. The management system incorporated operational policies, procedures and practices that will be followed when carrying out the mitigation measures.
  • Development of monitoring plan that gave specific description and technical details of monitoring measures, including the parameters to be measured, methods to be used, sampling locations, frequency of measurements and definition of thresholds that  signaled the need for corrective actions as well as deliver a monitoring and reporting procedure.
  • Consultation with project affected communities in a structured and culturally appropriate manner. The consultation was free, prior, informed and applied to all stages of the project.
  • Compilation of the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Study Report and submitted to NEMA for approval.

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