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Gulu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Light Traffic has resumed on Karuma Bridge after more than three months, after the completion of rehabilitation of the main link to and from Northern Uganda.
Karuma Bridge was closed to both light and heavy traffic in September after Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) engineers discovered faults on the bridge deck, expansion joints and bearings.
On Friday, by 7 am, a group of Christians from the National Fellowship of Born Again Churches from Kiryandongo district gathered at the bridge to pray for travellers using the bridge. Shortly after Larem, the first passenger bus from Gulu to Kampala crossed over the bridge.
Shortly after the commissioning of the State Minister for Works and Transport Minister, jubilant residents of Karuma were joined by a group of Acholi traditional dancers in celebrating the reopening of the bridge.
Heavy trucks and lorries ferrying cattle and other items started freely crossing the bridge alongside all small vehicles.
Ecweru called the commissioning a special day for the people of Uganda especially those in Kryandongo district and Northern Uganda who were affected the most.
Ecweru says the Karuma Bridge presented an urgent need for intervention that forced the government to expedite its remedial works to ensure easy transportation of goods and passengers.
Situation at Karuma!
May you go in peace….,the journey has been blessed! 🙏🏽#ConnectUg pic.twitter.com/PhYo0GlZs7
— UNRA_UGANDA (@UNRA_UG) December 20, 2024
Ecweru lauded the government for its urgent response to the emergency of repairing Karuma Bridge and praised the locals for their patience and resilience despite going through hardships in terms of hiked road fares, and failed businesses.
Engineer Lawrence Pario, the head of Bridges and structures at Uganda National Roads Authority-UNRA on Thursday told Uganda Radio Network that 95 percent of the major rehabilitation works on the bridge had already been completed.
Among the key structures completed at the bridge include the bridge deck, the replacement of 12 bearings, the laying of asphalt, installation of the guard rails, lights, and parapet walls among others.
He however noted that they were yet to install four expansion joints which are on sea being shipped from China. The expansion joints which are crucial to support the movements of the bridge are expected to arrive on site in January 2025 according to Engineer Pario.
Tony Awany, the Nwoya County Member of Parliament also the Deputy Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Physical Infrastructure lauded the government for keeping up with its promise of reopening the bridge within three months arguing that its closure had negatively impacted trade and transport.
Joseline Busingye who runs Damzonian Pub, in Karuma Town Council says that she was affected by the bridge closure. She said for the past three months, she barely made enough money to support the running of the facility and pay the employees.
“At some point, you get only one or two customers to the pub, it was a struggle. I am happy that the government has finally reopened the bridge,” she said.
Some of the leaders however expressed concerns about the delayed completion of auxiliary works such as the guard rails and installation of the expansion joints on the bridge deck.
Gilbert Olanya, the Kilak South Legislator particularly emphasized the need by the government to expedite the installation of the expansion joints which are very crucial for accommodating the thermal expansion and contraction of the bridge.
His statements follow the observation of visible cracks on the bridge deck just days after the asphalt was laid by the engineers.
Judith Alyek, the chairperson Lango Parliamentary Group tasked the Ministry to consider erecting a longer guard rail over Karuma bride to avoid vehicles swaying into the water.
But Eng Michael Ochola, the site engineer from UNRA told the leaders that there was no cause for alarm over the cracks citing that the spaces had only been filled with sawdust and geotextile materials temporarily and would later accommodate the expansion joints.
“These cracks are not a failure” Eng Ochola told the leaders reassuring them that the expansion joints will be installed in January to accommodate the heavy vehicles.
Karuma bridge rehabilitation work was undertaken by the National Enterprise Corporation (NEC) and China Seventh Railway Group to the tune of 6.8 billion shillings. Engineers say the rehabilitation works have since enhanced the life span of the 62-year-old bridge by more than 20 years.
The government is already making headway to construct a new suspended bridge over the Nile River as an alternative to the Karuma bridge which will be undertaken by the Japanese government.
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