According to Byamukama, the reconstruction project cost sh191b and included works on road sections between Lwera and Kalandazi.
The newly constructed Katonga Bridge along the Kampala-Masaka highway is expected to last 120 years, the Government has said, following its commissioning on Saturday, three years after the previous structure was washed away by floods.
The old bridge collapsed in May 2023 following heavy rains that triggered flash floods, disrupting the movement of passengers and goods along the busy highway, a major transport corridor connecting Kampala to southwestern Uganda and neighbouring countries.
Works and Transport Minister Fred Byamukama commissioned the reconstructed bridge for full public use after the project was handed over by China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), the contractor that undertook the works.
Byamukama said the reconstruction had restored the critical transport link, providing a long-term solution to the transport disruptions caused by the collapse of the previous structure.
The new steel bridge replaces a temporary crossing installed after the 2023 disaster to maintain traffic flow along the highway. The temporary structure was designed to accommodate loads of up to 60 tonnes.
According to Byamukama, the reconstruction project cost sh191b and included works on road sections between Lwera and Kalandazi.
He said the new infrastructure would strengthen the movement of passengers and cargo along the Kampala-Masaka highway, which is a key route for trade and commerce between Kampala, southwestern Uganda and neighbouring countries.
“The new structure stands three metres higher than the old bridge, enhancing its resilience to any possible flooding,” Byamukama said.
He, however, urged motorists to exercise extra caution while using the highway to prevent road crashes and loss of lives.
Government urged to rebuild Bugomola crossing
Meanwhile, Kalungu district chairperson Ahmed Nyombi Mukiibi has urged the Ministry of Works and Transport to reconstruct the Bugomola crossing linking Kalungu and Gomba districts, which was also destroyed by floods in 2023.
Nyombi said the semi-permanent bridge was washed away during the same flooding that destroyed the Katonga Bridge, but the Government had yet to rebuild it, disrupting the movement of people and goods between the two districts.
He said residents were currently relying on canoes to cross the Katonga River, exposing themselves to safety risks.
“This is also part of the Katonga River, but the crossing has remained unrepaired, disrupting the movement of goods and services between the two districts. People are currently using canoes to cross from one side to the other, which puts their lives at risk,” Nyombi said.
He called for urgent government intervention to restore the crossing and provide residents with a safer and more reliable means of transport.
While the reconstructed Katonga Bridge has restored a critical link along the Kampala-Masaka highway, the unresolved Bugomola crossing remains a challenge for communities that depend on the route to connect Kalungu and Gomba districts.
