By Aaron Asiimwe

Kasese: Following a heavy downpour that damaged the Katunguru Bridge which connects Kasese and Rubirizi Districts, the Uganda National Roads Authority (Unra) has closed Katunguru Bridge to avoid accidents and loss of lives.

In a statement issued yesterday, Unra said traffic, especially of buses and trucks, would be diverted to allow repairs on the bridge.

“For traffic bound from Kampala to Mpondwe, use Kampala-Fort Portal-Kasese-Mpondwe route. For traffic from Kampala to Ishasha, travel via Mbarara-Ishaka-Ishasha route; for traffic from Kasese to Mbarara, use Kasese-Fort Portal-Kamwenge-Ibanda-Mbarara route,” a UNRA statement read in part.

Mr Mark Ssali, the Unra head of public and corporate affairs, said their engineers are still assessing the extent of the damage.
The bridge handles huge volumes of traffic of taxis, trucks and buses on a daily basis.

Mr Hassan Ozoo, a taxi driver who plies the route daily, said they had spotted a big hole in the middle of the bridge.
“There is a metal in the middle of the bridge and between there is a big whole through which one can easily pass and drop in the water,” Mr Ozoo said.

Mr Ronald Kagumire, another taxi driver, said following the Unra directive, they will start dropping passengers at the bridge, who will cross on foot and board taxis from the other side.