The road leading to downtown Kigali through Sopetrad in Gikondo, which had been closed following damages caused by rain last December, has been reopened to traffic.

The Rwanda Transport Development Agency (RTDA) and City of Kigali said repair works are nearing completion.

One of the busiest routes during peak hours was re-opened on Sunday evening and traffic is now moving as usual along the road.

"Part of the works that allow the road to be open for traffic was completed. The remaining bit is to put asphalt, which requires at least a month for the embankment to settle,” said Theophile Dusabe, the acting head of road maintenance division at RTDA.

John Kamanzi, the foreman at the site being carried out by NPD Cotraco, said the road was damaged because the old drainage culverts were too small and had been clogged.

"We have now put two bigger steel culverts that will be able to sustain the pressure and drain the water with no risk of damaging the road,” he said.

However, he urged the City of Kigali to engage their cleaners more along the drainage channels to remove the garbage so that it does not accumulate to later clog the culverts.

Businesses resume

Located near the damaged road is an Engen Petrol Station, Rwanda Cooperatives Agency and Clarido Communications company.

Although the latter two weren’t affected much by the closure, Engen Petrol Station was closed during the time but is now set to resume operations. Efforts to get to the station’s spokesperson were futile by press time.