The Local leaders, Businesspersons, transporters have called for the quick repair of Katunguru Bridge, which crosses the Kazinga channel and connects Rubirizi and Kasese districts.
This is after the Uganda National Roads Authority called for the immediate closure of the bridge and diverted traffic to alternative routes.
On Tuesday, the Uganda National Road Authority(UNRA) issued a statement informing the immediate closure of Kazinga along the Mbarara Kasese highway. The highway is a busy road that is used by hundreds of people, buses and heavy tracks going to and from Kasese and the boarder with Democratic Republic of Congo.
According to the UNRA statement, the bridge is in immediate need of repair and all traffic using the bridge is to be diverted to the alternative roads.
However, though there seem to be general consensus that the bridge needs repair, the recommended diversion are consider to be of distance to the journey of routes which are not also in good condition.
Speaking to some of the locals in the area, they expressed their views as follow :”The damage has extended to the side of the bridge, let UNRA work upon it before the damage escalates.”
Another resident noted : “The slow movement of the car is cause by damage and could cause accidents we appeal to the government to address the problem.”
From the information gathered ,most of the residents in these areas depend in the traffic through the areas for different necessities and as a source of income to better their welfare.
“We depend on foods like matooke cassava among others which come from Rubirizi and Bushenyi,the breakdown of the bridge has greatly affected us. So something must be done with immediate effect,” one of the locals told Ug Mirror.
However, desite the recent warning from UNRA the bridge is still open and heavy tracks, buses and other vehicles were seen using the route.
The Kazinga channel was constructed during colonial time across the channel which link to lake Gorge .
