Shs 68m Arua bridge collapses four months after commissioning

What the report says

The Observer reports that a culvert bridge built across the Oli drainage channel in Arua Central Division, Arua City, has partially collapsed about four months after it was commissioned. The Shs 68 million crossing was meant to improve movement between Oli A Cell and Oli B Cell, but heavy rains last week reportedly washed away part of the structure, leaving it unsafe for motorists, pedestrians and schoolchildren.

According to the report, the bridge was commissioned in February by Arua Central Division and Arua City officials. It was constructed under the Force Account mechanism, using locally generated revenue for the 2023/2024 financial year, and implemented and supervised by the engineering department of Arua City Council. The crossing serves residents, businesses, Najah Muslim Primary School, Arua Primary School, Oli Parents Primary School and Oli Health Centre IV.

Residents cited in the article are demanding reconstruction and questioning the quality of the works, saying the bridge failed too soon after replacing a makeshift log crossing. The project reportedly involved two steel culverts, each 1.8 metres in diameter, covered with murram and loam soil. At the damaged section, residents said they could not see stone pitching or other reinforcement, and they noted that the area has soft soils that are vulnerable to erosion during heavy rain.

The Observer says it could not obtain comment from Arua City engineer Charles Omona. Deputy Resident City Commissioner Ivan Namoma acknowledged quality concerns but also linked the damage partly to encroachment on the natural drainage channel, saying buildings along the stream had obstructed water flow. He called for the road to be closed until engineers assess the damage and reconstruction is done.