KARUMA BRIDGE CLOSURE: MINISTER ECWERU URGES PATIENCE

Karuma Bridge
State Minister for Works, Musa Ecweru, has appealed to the people of Northern Uganda to endure the inconveniences caused by the closure of Karuma Bridge for their safety. Starting Monday, the 23rd of this month, the bridge will be closed to all traffic for three months to allow for rehabilitation works.
[Ambience]
On Tuesday, the Minister for Works and Transport, Gen. Katumba Wamala, announced the total closure of Karuma Bridge for three months to facilitate its rehabilitation.
The following day, State Minister for Works, Musa Ecweru, led members of the Parliamentary Committee on Physical Infrastructure to witness the commencement of the repair works. Ecweru had recently been accused of misleading Parliament when he reported that works on Karuma Bridge had already begun.
Project engineer Ben Owili took Ecweru and the team beneath the bridge, where work is already underway. Wooden platforms have been set up to give the team access to assess the bridge's condition. During the inspection, visible defects were observed, including cracks under the deck and damage to the rails. However, the engineer confirmed that the two horizontal beams remain in good condition and will not need replacement.
All 10 bearings, which function as shock absorbers supporting the weight of the bridge, are worn out and will be replaced.
Karuma Bridge is a critical infrastructure link connecting Northern Uganda to Kampala. It was initially closed to heavy trucks in July after engineers identified serious faults that posed risks to its users.
Motorists have been advised to use alternative routes. However, locals in Oyam and the surrounding areas feel left out of the current arrangement.
In response, Minister Ecweru pledged to explore alternatives to help locals from Oyam access Kiryandongo district during the closure.
The rehabilitation contract has been awarded to China Railway Seventh Group, with the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) serving as subcontractors. The project is estimated to cost approximately 7 billion shillings.
Filed 18th and 19th Sept, 2024