#Mabira [along Kampala—Jinja highway] like never before! 🎅Santa all the way!

#Karuma: Some social media ‘engineers’ have also delivered on Karuma🤭! I imagine some missed out on the updates on the scope of works but picked up on the last action; laying of asphalt, as the only scope of work and cost driver on the entire project cost estd at over Ugx 11bn. But I could explain exactly what has been done; and what remains to be done; We’re talking about a bridge crossing over the rapid waters of the Nile!! The work demands total alertness, expertise, finesse and high quality inputs/materials. Let’s not forget how we all dread the increasing cost of construction materials! Now, think about what it takes to work on a bridge at Karuma . Is expertise cheap? Is workers’ safety cheap? The Goal of the repairs is to strengthen the Bridge to be able to facilitate access at Karuma for the next over 20 years! The new bridge will not wait for 20 years though as @GovUganda is right now involved in intense discussions with funding partners— JICA[🇯🇵] to build a new Bridge at this location. Let’s break down the scope of works for better context; 1. Retrofitting the steel structures; involves strengthening & replacing worn out steel parts of the bridge to improve performance, extending its lifespan. 2. Demolition of the old bridge deck The old surface deck was removed to make way for a stronger and more durable deck. The process began with milling off the old asphalt before demolishing the deck itself [Picture in frame 2]. 3. Replacement of the bridge bearings These components support the bridge deck giving it ability to handle stress and movement caused by loads. 3. Sandblasting of the steel trusses Involves cleaning the steel framework to remove rust, old paint nd other contaminants thereby extending the bridge’s lifespan, preventing structural weakening. 4. Casting of concrete for the new deck Pouring new concrete along with formwork and reinforcement steel, to improve the bridge’s capacity to handle traffic loads. Each of these activities ensures the bridge is safe, functional and able to meet the modern transportation demands justifying each cost driver ! Hoping this helps us appreciate the relationship between the extent of scope and cost. Next time when we see a project like this, let’s try consider the complexity behind the scenes and the value/goal it delivers. TO BE DONE; — Installation of expansion joints to enable load distribution and structural performance. These will be installed next month before opening the bridge to semi and larger trailers. —Lighting of the Bridge; pending installation soon —More safety features #ConnectUg @UNRA_UG @MoWT_Uganda