ORCID
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1730-3396
Abstract
Road infrastructure plays a crucial role in the sustainable development of any nation. It connects communities, facilitates trade, and enables essential service delivery. However, road maintenance is one of the most significant challenges hindering sustainable development in South Sudan. The poor roads hinder economic growth, access to essential services, and social cohesion and are in dire need of repair and upkeep. Thus, I developed this qualitative multiple-case study to explore challenges that hinder road maintenance in South Sudan. I collected data through document review and semi-structured interviews with four road engineers, and then thematically analyzed the gathered data. Three themes emerged as the most significant challenges facing road maintenance in South Sudan: a lack of functional road maintenance institutions, a lack of legal framework supporting road maintenance, and a lack of dedicated funds for the maintenance of roads. Key recommendations include making road construction and maintenance institutions function, establishing legal frameworks to support road construction and maintenance in the country, and establishing a Road Fund agency to provide the necessary resources to support road construction and maintenance in the country. The implications for positive social change include facilitating access to essential services such as education, healthcare, employment, and economic prosperity.
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