Traders and drivers complain about the poor condition of the Juba-Yei-Kaya road, saying they face huge difficulties while using the road.
The highway was also renamed after the late Aggrey Jaden in the past weeks.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Wednesday, Isaac Mobutu, who uses the highway, said they often sleep on the way for days when travelling to Juba around the areas of Koya and Raponde.
“When we look at this road, it’s very dirty. I do not know what the government is doing. We get difficulties on the way, sometimes, we sleep for days on our way going or coming from Juba,” Mobutu lamented.
Mobutu called on the government to work on the road to ease movements.
Joseph Logu, a driver, urged the government to rehabilitate the road, especially in Ligi Kaya and two areas of Koya and Raponde along the Yei-Juba road.
“The issue of the road has become more difficult for us as drivers, we want the government to continue with what they have started, more especially the contractors. They should try their best to rehabilitate the areas making things difficult for us as drivers because sometimes we take almost a week on the way and sometimes vehicles overturn. They should help us out,” Logu stated.
For his part, Aggrey Cyrus Kanyikwa, the commissioner of Yei River County, said the governor promised to respond to the construction of the road.
“The governor promised that he will respond for the construction of Juba-Yei and Kaya roads and later roads leading to Lasu and Tore, to Maridi,” Kanyikwa said.
Meanwhile, Mawa Moses, the state minister of roads and bridges, said that complaints about the roads have been brought to his attention by the state and the national government.
“After we received concerns from the commissioner concerning the roads, this was brought to our attention. The governor also took it to the president, and the president responded positively,” he said.
In January this year, the government announced that it had commenced the construction of the Yei-Juba and Yei-Kaya roads. But travellers said ever since, nothing positive has been seen on the highway.
The over 200-kilometre highway is being undertaken by the African Resource Corporation or ARC.
The road was expected to be completed in about a year.
Juba-Yei Road is one of the infrastructure projects to be undertaken as part of the oil for development policy unveiled by the government in 2020.