Shs 68m Arua bridge collapses four months after commissioning

Barely four months after it was commissioned, a Shs 68 million culvert bridge in Arua Central Division, Arua City, has partially collapsed, raising concerns over the quality of construction and whether taxpayers received value for money.

The bridge, constructed across the Oli drainage channel, was intended to improve access between Oli A Cell and Oli B Cell. However, heavy rains that pounded the city last week washed away part of the structure, rendering it unsafe for motorists, pedestrians and schoolchildren who rely on the crossing daily.

The damaged section has since become a safety hazard, with only tape tied to wooden sticks cordoning off nearly half of the bridge to warn the public.

The culvert bridge was commissioned in February this year by officials from Arua Central Division and Arua city. It was constructed under the Force Account mechanism using locally generated revenue for the 2023/2024 financial year at a cost of Shs 68 million. The project was implemented and supervised by the engineering department of Arua City Council.

For residents, the bridge had offered a long-awaited solution after years of relying on a makeshift log to cross the drainage channel. The crossing serves homes, businesses, Najah Muslim primary school, Arua primary school, Oli Parents primary school and Oli health centre IV.

Residents are now demanding that the bridge be reconstructed, arguing that it failed far too soon and blaming what they describe as poor workmanship. Abdullahi Acikule, a resident of Oli B Cell, urged Arua City Council to urgently rebuild the bridge before it claims lives.

“This bridge needs to be reconstructed because this is not good work. You can see that stones were not used to compact it before and after installing the culverts and covering them with murram,” Acikule said.

The project involved the installation of two steel culverts measuring 1.8 metres in diameter, which were covered with murram and loam soil. At the collapsed section, there was no visible stone pitching, which residents believe would have reinforced the structure against fast-flowing water.

Residents also noted that the area is characterised by soft, highly erodible soils that are easily washed away during heavy rainfall. Abdul Aziz, another regular user of the bridge, described it as a death trap and questioned whether the project delivered value for money after collapsing just months after commissioning.

“You can clearly see that this work was not done well, which is why it collapsed so soon before serving the community for long. Look at that section where only soil and murram were used without stones or any reinforcement to hold everything together,” Aziz said.

URN was unable to obtain a comment from Arua City engineer Charles Omona. He has reportedly been away from the office since last week and could not be reached by telephone despite repeated attempts.

However, the deputy Resident City Commissioner (RCC) for Arua Central Division, Ivan Namoma, acknowledged concerns over the quality of the works but said the collapse was also partly caused by encroachment on the natural drainage channel.

According to Namoma, some residents have constructed buildings along the stream, obstructing its natural course and forcing floodwater to seek alternative routes, thereby increasing pressure on the bridge.

He said the affected road should be closed immediately to protect motorists and pedestrians until engineers assess the damage and undertake reconstruction works.

For now, residents continue to use the crossing with caution, fearing that continued heavy rains could further weaken the remaining section and trigger a complete collapse.

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