The Roads Agency in Uganda has announced that the repair of the Katonga bridge on the road from Kampala to the west of the country will take three weeks.
This road connects Uganda with neighboring countries such as Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Tanzania.
Five days ago, the Katonga river which is located 70 kilometers from the capital Kampala towards the west of the country collapsed due to floods caused by heavy rains that have been falling for a long time.
Regular users of the road are now advised to use the road through Mpigi, Kanoni, and Sembabule before returning to the normal road. This adds two hours to the normal travel time.
The government agency responsible for the construction of roads and bridges issued a statement saying that the repair work on the bridge has started but it will take three weeks before the road is open to traffic again.
This road is one of the most important roads in Uganda and the entire Great Lakes region.
In addition, the road also connects Uganda and Tanzania through the Mutukula border, as well as Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
This road is used by trucks that pick up goods at the port of Mombasa in Kenya and deliver them to those countries and Burundi.
The collapse of the bridge and the use of remote roads have increased the cost of travel.
Passengers traveling from Kampala to the Masaka and Rakai areas near the Tanzanian border have been advised to use the Lake Victoria waterway. Here the boat can carry hundreds of people at a time.
Uganda and the Great Lakes region as a whole have long been hit by heavy rains that have caused landslides, floods that have killed hundreds of people, natural disasters, and years of devastating floods.
