UNRA explains works at the Nile Bridge

JINJA - The Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) has explained the ongoing maintenance works on the new bridge at the Source of the Nile after the public raised concern over its quality.

Morris Odoch Odrua, an engineer for bridges and structures at UNRA told the New Vision that the cracks at the Nile Bridge are nothing but a deliberate method of construction used by the contractor.

Odoch explained that the wearing course seen and referred to as a cracked section on the bridge is a non-structural attachment and not a defect on the bridge.

According to some travelers, the tarmac on the 500 meter Bridge had started peeling off and there were black patches on the surface and road marks were also in a zigzag form.

Odoch who is also a resident project engineer, who oversaw the construction of the Cable bridge in Jinja, noted that while working on the concrete deck, the contractor put a 4 mm thick water proof material before applying the temporally asphalt AC14.

"This asphalt is not directly in touch with the deck concrete, so as we experience the crack in the asphalt, it doesn't reach the concrete and so the bridge itself is not cracking. Asphalt was put temporarily in order to get more information that will help us come up with a programme or baseline data on how best we can improve the maintenance of the bridge," Odoch said.

He said the contractor is planning to put permanent asphalt called modified polymar asphalt, which is rare in Africa adding that he (the contractor) made an order for the quantity needed so that it is manufactured and imported into Uganda.

Odoch further said that all this is being done within the defect liability period of two years before the contractor leaves the site.

He noted that works of applying the permanent asphalt are expected to be completed in April and when they start, they expect to divert the light weight vehicles, especially those from Kampala to the old bridge and leave the other side of the road at the new Nile bridge for vehicles coming from Iganga .

He said that part of the modified polymer asphalt to be applied to the 100 meter section is already at the site.