Katonga Bridge Construction to Begin in October

According to General Edward Katumba Wamala, Minister of Works and Transport, work on a new bridge over the River Katonga on the Kampala-Masaka Highway would start in October of this year.

During the plenary session on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, he revealed this while answering a question of national significance posed by Basil Bataringaya, the member of parliament for Kashari North County.

Concerned that the current bridge’s repairs had been abandoned, Bataringaya asked the minister to provide a timeline for when the important commerce route will be fixed.

“Last year, the Katonga bridge was swept away and closed for more than six months. Temporary measures were taken to repair this bridge, and traffic was channeled through the long Sembabule road which was inconveniencing to traders in terms of money and time,” Bataringaya said.

He asked the minister of works to design a quicker alternative while the impacted bridge’s construction progresses.

He went on, “And in this instance, I suggest the Villa Maria-Kalungu-Masaka Road.”

According to Katumba Wamala, the Katonga bridge was put at risk by weather patterns that altered the course of the river.

In order to build a new construction that is durable and would stand the test of time, we had to research the weather patterns of that river. We couldn’t hastily construct the nearly identical bridge that had been jeopardized,” he declared.

In order to guarantee that the section of the road is repaired to satisfy the demands of the truck volumes, the minister also disclosed that the contractor will handle the issues within the Kalandazi and Lwera wetlands.

Additionally, he urged drivers on the Kampala-Masaka Highway to be patient while the new bridge is being built.

In May 2023, the Katonga bridge was destroyed by flash floods prompting the Government to create a diversion for heavy trucks to the Mpigi-Sembabule-Masaka Road.