Karuma Bridge is a crucial link and gateway between Midwestern, Northern Uganda, and West Nile Sub-regions but has outlived its life span since its construction in 1962.
The bridge over the River Nile connects the southern part of Uganda to the northern part of the country and neighboring South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Uganda’s Transport Minister Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala on Tuesday announced that the government has announced the total closure of Karuma Bridge to all traffic for the next three months starting on Monday next week, multiple Ugandan media houses reported.
With the closure of the bridge, motorists and passengers intending to travel to and outside Northern Uganda and West Nile sub-regions will use the Murchison Falls National Park route, the eastern route through the Lango Sub-region and Masindi Port during the time when the bridge is under construction.
Gen. Katumba says the decision is purely based on safety and urged Ugandans to desist from politicizing the closure of the bridge. He says already there are concerns about the economic impact of the bridge closure but notes that leaving it open would even be more disadvantageous to the lives of its users.
