The Mbale-Soroti highway has been closed for fear of causing more damage on the Awoja Bridge.
The Soroti-Mbale highway was closed after floods washed away the Awoja Bridge along the Kumi-Soroti border.
Sam Musisi, the Soroti District Police Commander says police were deployed this morning to stop cars from using the highway because the bridge is risky for travelers. He says that there is fear that the bridge which was weakened by the floods could eventually cave in.
Musisi says motorists from Mbale have been advised to access Soroti through an alternative road that passes through Ngora and Ochapa.
Engineer John Nasasira, The Minister of Works and Transport, says he has ordered that the road be temporarily closed because of the extensive damage on the embankment of the bridge that poses a great risk to the motorists.
Partial repairs on the bridge have begun today prompting the authorities to divert traffic to Ngora and Ochapa roads.
In a related development, the Soroti-Katakwi road has been closed at Komolo Bridge. Traffic to and from Soroti has been diverted to the old Mbale road through Brooks Corner-Ocaapa.
