After more than three months, light Traffic has resumed on Karuma Bridge after the completion of rehabilitation of the main link to and from Northern Uganda.
In September karuma bridge was closed to both light and heavy traffic after Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) engineers discovered faults on the bridge deck, expansion joints and bearings.
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 by 7am on Friday. As soon as they finished praying, the first passenger bus from Gulu to Kampala crossed over the bridge.
Jubilant residents of Karuma were joined by a group of Acholi traditional dancers in celebrating the reopening of the bridge shortly after the commissioning of the State Minister for Works and Transport Minister,
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.
“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.” Ecweru says.
Despite going through hardships in terms of hiked road fares, and failed businesses, Ecweru lauded the government for its urgent response to the emergency of repairing Karuma Bridge and praised the locals for their patience and resilience.
On Thursday the head of Bridges and structures at Uganda National Roads Authority-UNRA Engineer Lawrence Pario 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.
“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.” He noted.
The Nwoya County Member of Parliament Tony Awany 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.
In Karuma Town Council Oseline Busingye who runs Damzonian Pub says that she was affected by the bridge closure. “she barely made enough money to support the running of the facility and pay the employees for the past three months.” She says.
She said that at some point, she get only one or two customers to the pub, it was a struggle. She is happy that the government has finally reopened the bridge.
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.
The Kilak South Legislator Gilbert Olanya 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.
After the asphalt was laid by the engineers, His statements follow the observation of visible cracks on the bridge deck just days.
The chairperson Lango Parliamentary Group Judith Alyek tasked the Ministry to consider erecting a longer guard rail over Karuma bride to avoid vehicles swaying into the water.
