Finally Karuma Bridge is officially reopened to traffic after three months of closure during which the bridge and Karuma Road have been undergoing rehabilitation.
The bridge was reopened by the state minister for works, Musa Ecweru, on Friday, December 20th, 2024.
Minister of Works and Transport Gen. Katumba Wamala said during plenary on Thursday that Karuma is open for light vehicles and buses while heavy trucks will have to wait.
“I am happy to inform Parliament that I promised that before Christmas, Karuma Bridge will be opened for people travelling that direction to travel. Karuma will be open tomorrow by 6:00 am for light vehicles and buses as we finalize the repairs for the heavy tracks, so bear with us; we will start with buses and light vehicles tomorrow by 6 am, and you can travel through the Karuma Bridge,” he said.
Katumba made the pronouncement during the prime minister’s question time, having been asked by Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa to update the nation on the ongoing repairs along Karuma Bridge.
Karuma Bridge was first closed in April, and it was closed again on September 23, 2024, following a road inspection by Minister Katumba Wamala.
The minister discovered that crucial components of the bridge, among them the bearings and the expansion joints, had worn out and developed cracks.
The repair works of the bridge were undertaken by China Railway Seventh Group and National Enterprise Corporation (NEC).
