The government is planning for a total shutdown of Karuma Bridge, the bridge that connects the link between Northern Uganda and the rest of the country to all traffic for extensive repairs work.
In April this year, the bridge was temporarily closed to heavy vehicles after an assessment revealed significant structural defects. The government has since contracted the National Enterprise Corporation (NEC) and China Seventh Railway Group to undertake repairs, with a completion timeline of three months.
Addressing concerns from legislators about the deteriorating state of the bridge, Ecweru informed parliament during a mobile session in Gulu that rehabilitation efforts have already begun beneath the bridge. The next phase will involve surface repairs, prompting the need for a full closure to all traffic in the coming weeks. While the exact duration of the closure remains unspecified, Ecweru suggested that it could extend for several weeks.
Ecweru warned that any time from now, the bridge could cave in, especially with active traffic. So far, the government has mobilized Shs 6.8 billion of the Shs 7.9 billion needed for the repair works. Ecweru also mentioned that the government is collaborating with the Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) to construct a new bridge over the River Nile, though he did not provide specific details about the project’s timeline.
The announcement comes after parliament approved a report from the sectoral committee on physical infrastructure, which called for the urgent rehabilitation of the Karuma Bridge. The committee emphasized that the continued closure of the bridge severely hinders the development of northern Uganda, as it is a vital route connecting the midwestern, northern, and West Nile sub-regions.
An assessment by the committee revealed that critical components of the bridge, including the bearings and expansion joints, were worn out, and structural cracks had formed beneath the structure. Although the repair contract was scheduled to commence on July 15, 2024, the committee found that the physical progress of the work stood at only 1.02 per cent against a planned 2.20 per cent.
According to the Uganda National Roads Authority (Unra) the ongoing rehabilitation works beneath the bridge deck include restoring the bridge's strength and longevity by re-fitting and strengthening the steel structures and applying protective measures to prevent corrosion.
Kibanda North MP Linos Ngompek urged the government to provide an alternative route, suggesting the newly constructed bridge at the Karuma hydropower plant as a viable option. He noted that the current alternative route through Murchison Falls National Park is lengthy and costly.
Speaker of parliament Anita Among tasked the Transport minister with fast-tracking the sectoral committee’s recommendations on infrastructure in northern Uganda and reporting back to the House within two weeks.
"We need action on the roads, improvement in water transport as an alternative, and prompt attention to all the infrastructure issues we have raised," Among emphasized.
