A section of Juba-Lainya and Yei road. Photo: Curtesy

The Commissioner of Lainya County has revealed that the process of tarmacking the Juba-Lainya-Yei road has commenced.

Emmanuel Khemis says a team of companies contracted to build the highway was Lainya on Thursday on a field visit to start the work.

He says the bush clearance and expansion embarked on by the government and the local population has already reached mile 40.

Another clearance phase is projected to start soon towards Yei from Lainya Town which he says is the initiation point.

“Already as I speak to you now, one of the sub-companies have started the bush clearance and it has already reached mile 40. And I believe in the next 30-45 days we have already finished because we already have the equipment”, Emmanuel Khemis told Eye Radio from Lainya County on Friday.

The construction of the over 200-kilometer highway will be undertaken by the African Resource Corporation or ARC.

The road is 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.

The government in 2020 embarked on a road construction project that it says will see the road networks linking Juba to Bor in Jonglei state and Rumbek in Lakes state and other parts of the country.