New Jinja Bridge

New Jinja Bridge
Carries	Kampala-Jinja Highway
Crosses	Victoria Nile
Locale	Njeru, Uganda to Jinja, Uganda
Material	steel, concrete
Opened	2016 (Expected)
Coordinates	0°26′15″N 33°11′15″E / 0.4375°N 33.1875°E / 0.4375; 33.1875Coordinates: 0°26′15″N 33°11′15″E / 0.4375°N 33.1875°E / 0.4375; 33.1875
New Jinja Bridge

The New Jinja Bridge is a proposed bridge to be constructed in Uganda. It will complement the Nalubaale Bridge, which was built in 1954.^[1]

Location

The bridge will be located at Njeru, a suburb of Jinja, on the Victoria Nile, between the Source of the Nile to the south and Nalubaale Power Station to the north. This location is adjacent and immediately north of where the Uganda Railways line crosses the Victoria Nile. It is located ob the Kampala-Jinja Highway, approximately 82 kilometres (51 mi), by road, east of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city.^[2] The coordinates of Karuma Power Station are:00 26 15N, 33 11 15E (Latitude:0.4375; Longitude:33.1875).^[3]

History

The Nalubaale Bridge is one of the only two road crossings across the Victoria Nile in Uganda, the other crossings being the Karuma Bridge, approximately 285 kilometres (177 mi), by road, to the north.^[4] The road crossing at Jinja is of national and regional significance because it is part of the "Northern Corridor" a highway across East and Central Africa, linking the Indian Ocean at Mombasa, Kenya, to the Atlantic Ocean at Matadi, Democratic Republic of the Congo.^[5] The old bridge, commissioned in 1954, is in bad structural shape and has outlived its expected lifespan.

Construction is expected to start in August 2012 and last four (4) years. The bridge will carry a four-lane highway and will be the longest bridge in Uganda at 525 metres (1,722 ft) long. The feasibility studies were conducted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).^[6]

Construction costs

The total cost of the New Jinja Bridge is budgeted at US$125 million. The Government of Japan will finance 80% of the cost, in form of a soft loan of US$100 million at an annual interest rate of 0.01%, repayable in ten (10) years, but extendable to forty (40) years.^[7] The Government of Uganda will fund the remaining US$25 million (20%), out of its own coffers.^[8]

External links

• Names of Ugandan Projects Where Japan Is The Developmental Partner
• Construction Slated To Start In August 2012

Photos

• Artist's Impression of New Jinja Bridge At Newvision.co.ug

See also

• List of bridges in Uganda
• List of bridges in Africa
• Jinja
• Nalubaale Power Station
• Source of the Nile

References

1. ^ New Bridge Planned Across Victoria Nile At Jinja
2. ^ Road Distance Between Kampala And Njeru With Map
3. ^ Location of New Jinja Bridge When Complete At Google Maps
4. ^ Road Distance Between Jinja and Karuma With Map
5. ^ Nalubaale Bridge Is Vital Link Between Mombasa And Uganda, Plus Countries To The South, West and North
6. ^ The New Bridge Has Been Designed By The Japanese
7. ^ Loan For New Bridge Due In 10 Years But Extendable To 40 Years
8. ^ Japan Lending Uganda US$100 On Soft Terms To Build New Bridge Across The Nile