ARUA CITY FINALLY RESPONDS TO COMMUNITY DEMAND FOR BRIDGE AFTER 3 YEARS

A team of workers installing culverts at the bridge site. All photos by Godwin Abedican.

By Godwin Abedican
Arua
 
From July 2022, life has not been easy for road users from the cells of Alengo, Yapi, Olumini and Komite due to lack of a bridge on Ania lower stream that separates Yapi and Alengo cells.
 
This is after the initial culvert bridge at the same spot installed during the financial year 2017/2018 by the then administration of Pajulu Sub County under the former Arua district was washed away following a heavy downpour on the night of Monday July 18, 2022 and since then there had been no response towards the reconstruction of the bridge due to lack of resources.
 
But then close to 3 years after the incident, Arua city through Ayivu division finally commenced the reconstruction of the bridge on Ania connecting the 4 different cells in Ayivu west.
 
Aniti Kennedy, the road overseer Arua city who is directly in charge of the ongoing construction explains the project details, “We are installing Armcor culverts, with diameter of 1.5 meters which is dependent on the assessment made in line with the volume of water received by the stream overtime. When we work on such culverts, we base on the history of a stream or river that we are working on. So, the 1.5 meters is double and we are quite sure that it will manage the water volume here very well,” Aniti said in an interview with Radio Pacis.
 
Aniti Kennedy the in charge of the project during an interview.

Recently, some residents of the affected cells and road users protested the delayed commencement of the reconstruction of the bridge after materials were dumped at the project site for over two months.
 
Aniti further says that, from the time the works began, there have been minimal challenges observed and the community attitude has been so positive towards the project and workers.

“As per my expectations, the money allocations made is quite enough and we shall produce quality works. That will last for the desired period of time. And it will help the community around. When we work on a bridge like that, we don’t just work on the bridge and abandon the road. There has to be maintenance work done on the road, for this specific case we are going to do grading and opening of the offshoots where they have been before and then there are some access culverts adjacent to the road we shall open them and where possible there are others that we shall need to reinstall,” he confirmed.  
 
Being implemented directly under the city, the project which has been allocated 30 million shillings for materials and labor costs is expected to be accomplished within a period of 2 weeks, as soon as it’s completed, it will be handed over to the community for use.

The site after excavation.