NR1 (Rwanda)

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National Road 1

Kigali–Muhanga–Huye Road
NR1 highlighted in red
Route information
Length158 km[1] (98 mi)
Major junctions
From NR4 in Kigali
South endN1 in Burundi with Akanyaru
Location
CountryRwanda
Highway system

The National Road 1 (Kinyarwanda: Umuhanda W'igihugu 1), abbreviated as NR1 and colloquially known as the Kigali–Muhanga–Huye Road, is a primary route in Rwanda that connects the sectors of the capital with two of the main cities of the Southern Province up to the Burundi border.

History

In the 1970s, the European Development Fund (EFD) partially assisted in the financing of development between the sectors connecting Huye, formerly known as Butare at that time, to the Burundi border in order to connect the country to the rest of the East African road system.[2]

At the end of 2003, the EU mission in Rwanda donated approximately $19.9 million USD for the rehabilitation of some sectors from Muhanga to Huye as well as the improvement of the drainage system around the sectors between Huye and Akanyaru, the project was supported by the construction company Satom Sogea which operates in several French-speaking African countries as well as the local construction company Amsar from Burundi.[3] Between 2009 and 2010, several emergency repair works were carried out to rehabilitate part of the infrastructure of the Rwabuye Bridge with a budget of approximately 69 million Rwandan Francs.[4]

The modern road structure between Kigali and Muhanga was built between 1999 and 2000, while the section that goes to the south of the country through Butare was completed in 2004.[a] In late 2019, the road was partially affected by heavy rains in the Nyaruguru District that caused avalanches, where it specifically paralyzed trade around Kanyaru Border Market with Burundi.[6]

In November 2023, the Rwandan Parliament confirmed that the project to improve the road would have a budget of approximately $120 million USD based on loans from Korea Eximbank (KEXIM) with the main objective being the improvement of the sections running through the Kabgayi.[7] In mid-2024, the Rwanda Transport Development Agency (RTDA) confirmed plans to expand the sections of the NR1 connecting the capital city with Muhanga to avoid possible accidents as well as to improve traffic flow between the two cities.[8]

Route description

Kigali Province

The Nyabugogo bridge connecting the sectors between Kigali and Muhanga within the NR1.

The NR1 starts in the metropolitan area of Kigali, specifically in the Nyabugogo sector and heads much further west intersecting with the NR2. The route then heads slightly south and enters the Southern Province through the Nyabarongo River Bridge.[9]

Southern Province

The route heads much further west and crosses the urban center of Ruyenzi. Then NR1 crosses the district seat of Kamonyi and additionally runs along the Gatimbazi River. The national route then heads much further west crossing around Rugobagoba, where it intersects with NR7 and then heads much further south passing around Musambira where it crosses the Kayumbu River.

In the Muhanga metropolitan area, NR1 crosses around Saint André Gitarama Parish (Kinyarwanda: Paruwasi St Andre Gitarama). It then heads much further south crossing the area around the Muhanga Dam, then the national route connects with the towns of Kirengeli and Buhoro, from this section, NR1 heads to the town of Ruhango.

In this section, NR1 passes around Kamegeri Rock (Kinyarwanda: Urutare rwa Kamegeri), a historical monument dating from the reign of Mibamwe II Sekarongoro II Gisanura in the Kingdom of Rwanda.[b] From there, the road heads much further south, crossing the borders of the historic city of Nyanza, where NR1 intersects with NR6. The road then heads to the town of Rusatira.

Section of NR1 passing around the Ruhande Arboretum within Huye metropolitan area

Here the route heads much further south crossing through the Rubona Forest area which is home to all kinds of plants native to this region of Rwanda, then heads to the metropolitan area of Huye, also known as Butare, where it crosses the Ruranga River. In this section, the NR1 passes through the historic center of Huye, specifically around the Ethnographic Museum (Kinyarwanda: Inzu ndangamurage) and the Church of Saint Vincent de Paul. The national route then passes around the Huye Regional Stadium and the campus of the National University of Rwanda.

In the sector (Kinyarwanda: imirenge) of Tumba, the road has to cross the confluence of the Mukura, Kadahokwa and Rwamabamba rivers.[11]

NR1 then heads much further south of Huye crossing specifically around the Rwantabare Valley.[12] The last sections of NR1 pass around the western end of Nyaruguru District, specifically in the Ngera and Ngoma sectors.[13]

Major intersections

Province (Intara)District (Akarere)kmmiDestinationsNotes
Kigali ProvinceNyarugenge District00.0 NR4
2.71.7 NR3[14]
5.43.4 NR2[15]
Southern ProvinceMuhanga District44.527.7 NR17[16]The intersection occurs specifically in the Nyamabuye sector located in the eastern part of the Muhanga metropolitan area.
47.729.6 NR16[17]
Ruhango District72.645.1 NR7[18]
Nyanza District8955 NR6[19]
Huye District12477 NR10[20]This intersection also connects to the SH 7 Avenue.
12578 NR9[21]This intersection also connects SH 10 Avenue to the main roads in Huye.
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Notes

  1. ^ Kinyarwanda: Hari igice cya mbere cyo kuva Kigali kugera Muhanga baracyubatse kigera mu 1999/2000 ikindi cyubatswe kuva hariya i Muhanaga kugera Huye wo warangiye mu 2004. Translation: The first part from Kigali to Muhanga was built in 1999/2000 and the other part from Muhanga to Huye was completed in 2004 - Quote from Imena Munyampenda, Director General of the Rwanda Transport Development Agency (RTDA)[5]
  2. ^ Kinyarwanda: Umunyamakuru wa Paradise.rw yusuye urutare rwa Kamegeri, ruherereye mu ntara yAmajyepfo, Akarere ka Ruhango, umurenge wa Ruhango munsi y’umuhanda hagati y’umujyi wa Ruhango n’ahahoze komine Kigoma Translation: A reporter from Paradise.rw visited the Kamegeri rock, located in South Province, Ruhango District, Ruhango sector under the road between Ruhango town and the former Kigoma municipality.[10]

References

  1. ^ Development of a Simple Road Safety Audit Procedure Suitable for Road Condition in Rwanda (PDF). University of Rwanda. 2014. p. 51. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  2. ^ Report and Recommendation of the President to the Executive Directors on a proposed credit to the Republic of Rwanda for a Third Highway Project (PDF). World Bank. May 15, 1974. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
  3. ^ "Rwanda: EU gives €17 million for road repair". The New Humanitarian. September 24, 2003. Retrieved December 4, 2024 – via ReliefWeb.
  4. ^ "FER Work Progress Report Period: 1st July 2010– 30th June 2011" (PDF). Rwanda Road Maintenance Fund (RMF). 2011. p. 27. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
  5. ^ Jean, Nshimiyimana (March 4, 2024). "RTDA yemeje ko Umuhanda Kigali-Muhanga wangiritse ku buryo kuwusana ntacyo byamara". IGIHE (in Kinyarwanda). Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  6. ^ Ruzindawa, Charles (December 10, 2019). "Inkangu yafunze igice cy'umuhanda Huye-Akanyaru (Amafoto)" [Landslides block part of the Huye-Akanyaru road (Photos)]. Kigali Today (in Kinyarwanda). Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  7. ^ Abraham, Sneha (November 17, 2023). "Rwandan Parliament Approves Loan For Kigali-Muhanga Road". Construct Africa. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
  8. ^ "Umuhanda wa Kigali-Muhanga uzatangira gukorwa mu mpeshyi ya 2025" [Construction of the Kigali-Muhanga highway to begin in the summer of 2025] (in Kinyarwanda). Rwanda Broadcasting Agency. June 13, 2024. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
  9. ^ Kimenyi, Bryan (May 9, 2016). "R. Nyabarongo overflows, Kigali-Muhanga road closed". The New Times. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  10. ^ Ishimwe, Grace (2023). "Amateka y'urutare rwa Kamegeri n'isomo abantu bose barwigiraho by'umwihariko abakristo" [The history of Kamegeri rock is a lesson for everyone, especially Christians]. Paraside Rwanda (in Kinyarwanda). Retrieved November 30, 2024.
  11. ^ Rwanda Land Management and Use Authority (2020). Topographic map of Rwanda (Map). [1:1,500,000]. Huye, Southern Province: Government of the Republic of Rwanda. § Block: 2CSW.
  12. ^ Jan Moeyersons (2001). "Rwanda" (Map). The topographic thresholds of hillslope incisions in southwestern Rwanda (PDF). Butare: Elsevier. p. 384. Southern Province, Rwanda inset.
  13. ^ Nyaruguru District Profile (PDF) (Map). National Institute of Statistics Rwanda. 2012. p. 15.
  14. ^ Google (December 5, 2024). "Driving Directions from NR1 to NR3" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
  15. ^ Google (December 5, 2024). "Driving Directions from NR1 to NR2" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
  16. ^ Google (December 5, 2024). "Driving Directions from NR1 (Kigali) to NR17 (Nyamabuye, Muhanga)" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
  17. ^ Google (December 5, 2024). "Driving Directions from NR1 (Kigali) to NR16 (Muhanga)" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
  18. ^ Google (December 5, 2024). "Driving Directions from NR1 (Kigali) to NR7 (Ruhango)" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
  19. ^ Google (December 5, 2024). "Driving Directions from NR1 (Kigali) to NR6 (Nyanza)" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
  20. ^ Google (December 5, 2024). "Driving Directions from NR1 (Kigali) to NR10 (Huye)" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
  21. ^ Google (December 5, 2024). "Driving Directions from NR1 (Kigali) to NR9 (Huye)" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved December 5, 2024.

External links

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