Construction work has commenced along the Juba -Terekeka road. PHOTO: Shandong Hi-speed

The Minister of Roads and Bridges says the construction of a one kilometer road on the Juba – Bhar-el-Ghazel region highway will cost the government about $1.5 million.

The amount is included in the over $700 million package offered to the Chinese Shandong High-speed group of companies to construct the close to 400 kilometers road from Juba to Wau.

In March, South Sudan and the Chinese company signed the lifting of 30,000 barrels of crude oil per day -to cover the cost of the highway project.

Speaking on Sunday in Koda County -during a site inspection in Terekeka state -Rebecca Okwaci said the cost per kilometer is determined by the materials that will be used, and the labor.

“1 kilometer is about $1.5 million for the road which is 395 Kilometers or about 400 kilometers [as is] in the contract. This is already public information outside there,” she said.

In Kenya, the government spent more than $2 million per kilometer during the construction of Thika super highway and Southern Bypass roads in Nairobi.

The cost is attributed to the thickness of the top layer of the tarmac, the asphaltic concrete used, and the traffic envisaged.

Meanwhile, Rebecca Okwaci said South Sudanese companies will also be included in the construction of the Juba – Bahr el Ghazal region highway project.

“We are very keen that the local contractors are involved, you cannot give a contract out to the foreigners and you don’t include the nationals,” she said.

The construction of the national highway from Nadapal through Torit to Juba, up to Rumbek and to Wau, has begun with the pilot phase starting from Juba.