Shs 68m Arua Bridge Collapses Just Four Months After Commissioning

Residents of Arua City are expressing dismay and concern following the premature collapse of a Shs 68 million culvert bridge. The structure, intended to improve connectivity between Oli A Cell and Oli B Cell, gave way during recent heavy rainfall, just four months after its official commissioning.

The bridge, built over the Oli drainage channel, serves as a crucial link for homes, businesses, schools, and a health center. Its partial destruction has rendered it unsafe, with makeshift barriers now warning the public of the hazard.

Constructed using locally generated revenue and implemented by the Arua City Council engineering department, the project was celebrated as a solution to years of reliance on a makeshift log for crossing the channel. However, the failure so soon after completion has led residents to blame poor workmanship.

Concerns have been raised about the materials and methods used, with reports indicating a lack of essential reinforcing materials like stones, leading to erosion and structural weakness. Residents fear that the bridge’s failure could escalate into a more severe incident, potentially causing loss of life.

While Arua City officials have yet to provide a detailed comment, the deputy Resident City Commissioner acknowledged quality concerns and also pointed to encroachment on the drainage channel by some residents as a contributing factor. The affected route has been recommended for immediate closure pending an assessment and reconstruction.

For now, the community is forced to navigate the damaged crossing with extreme caution, fearing further collapse should the rains persist.

Read more here: https://observer.ug/news/shs-68m-arua-bridge-collapses-four-months-after-commissioning