The Sironko-Muyembe route has been stopped by the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA), citing the necessity to protect drivers due to the deterioration of the Nalugugu bridge.
In a statement released on Saturday, August 9, 2024, UNRA said, “We would like to notify the public that signs of deterioration have been identified on the structural elements of the Nalugugu Bridge, located 1 km from Sironko town along the Sironko—Muyembe Road.” We also added that all heavy vehicles are now restricted as a “proactive safety measure.”
According to UNRA, the road is currently only open to light and passenger traffic.
It stated, “Heavy vehicles traveling beyond Sironko are advised to divert to alternate routes, which will be announced shortly.”
“Our teams are currently mobilising to conduct a thorough assessment of the affected section, which will inform both immediate and long-term solutions.”
This development coincides with the closing of another important bridge, the Karuma Bridge, which links the West Nile, Acholi, and Lango sub-regions to the national grid. The northern DR Congo and South Sudan are also connected to the bridge.
All drivers of trailers, lorries, and trucks were prohibited from using the route via Murchison Falls National Park to Pakwach or Rwenkunye, where they could take the ferry to cross over Masindi Port. This information was included in the traffic advisory that was published in May.
Engineers found bridge flaws, therefore the authorities rerouted traffic at the Karuma Bridge crossing.
In July 2024, the site was turned over to China Railways Seventh Group, a contractor working in partnership with the National Enterprise Corporation (NEC), so that the much-needed repairs could start.
1963 saw the bridge’s construction, one year following Uganda’s separation from Great Britain.
