The Minister of Transport and works Hon Fred Byamukama, has urged motorists to exercise caution, and observe traffic regulations in order to safeguard their lives and reduce road fatalities as they travel along the Masaka road.
Hon Byamukama, made the appeal while commissioning the reconstructed katonga bridge, on Saturday.
“This bridge was washed away in 2023 due to floods because of our people who have encroached on swamps, and the water couldn’t be reserved by the papyrus, then it is released in slow motion, so the water goes quickly in case there is heavy rain” he said.
He added, “In 2024, the government of Uganda committed UGX 181 billion for reconstruction of Katonga Bridge and also the stretches of Lwera, as we speak now, we have officially finalised the works at the cost of UGX 191 billion and the bridge is completed”.
Byamukama noted that the previous bridge was a bit low in terms of height, with the new one three metre higher than it.
“This road is going to serve our communities, it connects our people to the west, Ntungamo and Mbarara where a lot of agricultural produce comes from, it’s a gateway for our people to Tanzania, where we get a lot of trade and Congo especially when you go down to Kisoro” he said.
Reconstructed following its destruction by floods in 2023, the bridge forms part of the UGX 191 billion Katonga Corridor project, which also covers the Katonga (2.7km), Kalandazi (1.6km) and Lwera (11.6km) road sections.
Raised higher to improve flood resilience, the bridge has a projected design life of 120 years.
