Karuma Bridge closed for three months

The bridge, vital for connecting Kampala to northern Uganda, West Nile, DR Congo via Goli and South Sudan

TRAFFIC | The government has been forced to shut down Karuma Bridge to heavy traffic for three months after it developed structural defects.

The bridge, vital for connecting Kampala to northern Uganda, West Nile, DR Congo via Goli and South Sudan, will be closed to all lorries, trailers and buses from Monday, May 6.

"Only passenger vehicles carrying up to 28 persons will be allowed to use the bridge," the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) said in a statement on Friday evening.

"We anticipate that this intervention will be completed in three months."

The decision potentially sets off travel chaos for commuters and trucks to the north of the country.

UNRA said following condition assessment of the bridge, it had been established that some elements of its structure (the concrete deck) have deteriorated particularly on the Kampala approach lane.

"The continued exposure of the bridge to the ever-increasing heavy traffic is likely to accelerate its deterioration and serviceability, if not addressed in time," the roads Authority said.

The Karuma Falls Bridge was constructed in 1963 to help the cotton farmers in northern Uganda to cross the river.

It is a narrow, single carriageway bridge without pedestrian or bicycle lanes and no monitoring equipment, leaving it prone to major accidents.

In early February, commuters were surprised to drive into a caution signage indicating the closure of the bridge for "one to two hours intervals" as engineers assessed what later turned out to be structural damage.

Following the finding, sources say a team of engineers approached President Museveni asking for funding to work on the defects.

However, with plans for a cable bridge similar to the New River Nile Bridge in Jinja City in his pending file, Mr Museveni is said to have refused.

UNRA spokesperson Allan Ssempebwa told the Nile Post last evening that the concrete deck is experiencing fatigue.

"The intervention after the diagnostic was was planned to take us until we’re ready to have a new and permanent bridge at Karuma," Mr Ssembebwa said. "We need to intervene as soon as possible."

Travel advisory

In June last year, Works and Transport minister Edward Katumba Wamala told Parliament that the government was looking for funds to construct the New Karuma Bridge.

But the latest development will force the looking for funds to come sooner with UNRA saying they have commenced the process of identifying a competent contractor who will undertake the restoration of the bridge structure as quickly as possible.

The lengthy closure of Karuma Bridge sees travellers from Kampala heading to Gulu and West Nile use Luwero-Kafu-Masindi-Paraa (Murchison Falls National Park) to connect to Pakwach or Gulu via Olwiyo.

The challenge is that the wildlife authority charges fees for driving through the game park - and it still remains unclear if the fees will be waved for the emergency period.

Motorists to Lira have been advised to endure the Iganga-Nakalama-Tirinyi-Pallisa-Kumi-Soroti-Lira route.

For a bridge that has endured more than its lifespan and design could handle, including the desperate attempt by Idi Amin's troops to blast it to smithereens to stop the invading forces from advancing to Kampala in 1979, it appears that Karuma Falls Bridge time is up.