The Moroto-Soroti road has opened to traffic after a 24 hour marathon emergency repair by the Uganda National Roads Authority. Heavy trucks were able to leave Moroto by 6pm on Thursday as repairs continued late into the night.
Over 300 travelers destined to various parts of the country were stranded in Moroto following the collapse of a bridge, 10 kilometers out of the town centre.
The Nadunget mini-bridge along Moroto-Soroti road gave way on Thursday morning following the torrential rains experienced in Karamoja. The bridge collapsed under the weight of a lorry carrying bricks.
Bosco Ongareno, one of the truck drivers who were stranded in Moroto, says the bridges all over the Moroto-Soroti road are threatening to give way as rains continue because they were built over 6 decades ago.
Meanwhile, Hassan Ssentamu, the UNRA Moroto station Engineer told URN on friday morning that some road equipment has been transferred from Namalu in Nakapiripirit district to handle the emergencies in Moroto and Napak, where the roads have been greatly affected by the rains.
Ssentamu says the roads authority will ensure that Karamoja remains accessible to traffic and at all times as they wait for the rains to subside.
He, however, asks the road users to be calm as major trunk roads have been tendered and work starts towards the end of June.
