With less than 26 months remaining before the expected completion of the airport, scheduled for late 2027 or early 2028, attention is also turning to supporting infrastructure needed to ensure the facility is accessible once it becomes operational.

IGIHE visited the sites of the two road projects to assess progress and establish whether they are on course to be completed alongside the airport.

While construction of the airport itself is progressing, work on the two access roads is still at different stages. The road from Karumuna to the airport is largely at the land preparation stage, while construction of the Masaka-Kabukuba-Nyamata road is more advanced.

Work has started on both projects, although some sections remain affected by delays linked to properties that have yet to be compensated for and relocated.

The roads are expected to ease travel to and from the airport, improve transport links and create new opportunities for business and investment in Bugesera District and other parts of the country.

The airport is being built with a 4,200-metre runway. In its first phase, it is expected to handle up to seven million passengers and 150,000 tonnes of cargo annually.

The second phase, scheduled for completion in 2032, will increase its annual passenger-handling capacity to 14 million.

Karumuna airport road at land preparation stage

The first project involves an 11-kilometre road starting in Karumuna, about 500 metres from the Akagera Bridge, and extending directly to Bugesera International Airport.

The road will branch off from the Kicukiro-Nyamata highway, allowing motorists travelling to and from the airport to avoid passing through Nyamata.

According to the Rwanda Transport Development Agency (RTDA), the road will be developed as an expressway, a dedicated route designed to facilitate faster travel. Motorists using it will be required to pay a toll.

It will offer an alternative for passengers seeking a quicker connection to the airport, particularly when traffic on existing roads is heavy.

Its shorter distance to the airport compared with other routes also makes it a convenient option for travellers willing to pay for faster journeys.

However, the introduction of a toll on this expressway does not mean that all roads leading to the airport will require payment.

During its visit to the construction site, IGIHE found that work was largely focused on clearing and preparing the land along the planned route in accordance with the road's design.

Some sections have experienced temporary delays because properties located along the route had not yet been valued and compensated for before relocation.

One such area is approximately two kilometres from the road's starting point in Karumuna. It contains properties including buildings belonging to a leather-processing factory, livestock facilities and residential houses whose owners are yet to receive compensation.

Construction in the affected section was temporarily suspended as discussions over compensation continued.

Eric Iradukunda, a human resources officer at China Road and Bridge Corporation, the contractor, told IGIHE that work in the affected area would resume soon, as negotiations over compensation for the remaining properties were nearing completion.

He added that construction materials needed for the section had started arriving, expressing confidence that work would soon continue along the entire route.

Iradukunda explained that current activities mainly involve preparing the road corridor and adjusting the ground to match the planned design.

"At the moment, the machinery is being used to clear and level the ground so that we can reach the surface on which the road will be built. In some areas, we also need to raise the ground to achieve the required road level," he said.

Surveyors are also assessing the terrain to ensure that the ground conditions correspond with the road's planned design.

Masaka-Kabukuba-Nyamata road also under construction

The second project is the Masaka-Kabukuba-Nyamata road, which will provide another important connection between the new airport, Kigali and other parts of Bugesera District.

The road forms part of the Kigali Logistics Platform (KLP), an infrastructure development programme intended to connect the Dubai Ports inland logistics facility in Masaka with Kigali International Airport, while improving links to other areas in the Eastern and Southern provinces.

The Masaka-Kabukuba section will cover 16.88 kilometres, while the section extending towards Nyamata, passing by the new airport, will measure 13.72 kilometres.

IGIHE visited the construction site and found that work was progressing, although some sections had yet to be cleared because property owners were still awaiting compensation and relocation.

Some residents whose properties lie along the planned route said they expected to receive their compensation soon, noting that they had already signed the relevant documents.

"At this point, it is only a matter of time because we have already signed for the compensation. We have also submitted all the required documents, including our bank account details where the money will be deposited," one resident said.

RTDA says the roads are intended to serve a broader purpose than simply providing access to the airport. They are also expected to facilitate transport and open up new opportunities for economic activity and investment.

New business and investment opportunities for Bugesera

Private sector representatives in Bugesera say the new roads are likely to create significant business and investment opportunities, urging entrepreneurs to start positioning themselves to benefit from the anticipated growth.

Some investors have reportedly started identifying and purchasing land in areas along the planned routes, anticipating increased movement of people and goods once the roads become operational.

Speaking to IGIHE, the Chairperson of the Private Sector Federation (PSF) in Bugesera District, Dr Munyaburanga Edouard, said businesspeople were already exploring strategic locations for commercial developments, including hotels.

"First of all, people have started buying land. Some are identifying strategic locations where they can put up developments such as hotels," he said.

He noted that, beyond the road projects, Bugesera is also expected to benefit from other major developments, including the planned Airport City project, which has attracted interest from investors and residents seeking to take advantage of the opportunities it could generate.

He added that infrastructure development could bring changes extending beyond improved transport, stimulating business, services and investment across the district.

For some residents, the ongoing projects are already providing employment opportunities.

Sindayigaya Moses, a Bugesera resident, told IGIHE that he had secured a job on one of the road construction projects, operating machinery used in land preparation.

He said he expected the roads to bring significant changes to the district, particularly by increasing land values and encouraging settlement and investment.

"This road will bring major changes because land near it will immediately increase in value and attract settlement," he said.