Finally, the 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, the Karuma Bridge will be opened for people travelling that direction. Karuma will be open tomorrow by 6:00 am for light vehicles and buses as we finalize the repairs for the heavy trucks, 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 to the 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). The Karuma bridge is the main bridge that connects central Uganda to northern Uganda. With its closure, all traffic had temporarily been diverted through Murchison falls national park.
With the reopening of the bridge, the journey had was taking more than 10 hours to connect to Gulu town will be reduced to almost half. The minister will share details once the bridge officially reopens to heavy vehicles moving north.
