The Ministry of Works and Transport put out a notice that Karuma and Ayago Bridges, which are crucial parts of the Kampala-Gulu highway, are going to be closed for some repairs starting Monday, March 24, 2025 which was yesterday. They expect the closure to last around three weeks. This work is all about fixing up the expansion joints, which is really important for keeping the bridges in good shape.

Allan Ssempebwa, who is the information officer at the Ministry, says that this closure will make traveling on the highway tricky since it’s such a busy route connecting central Uganda to the northern part of the country.

To help with this situation, the ministry has made sure that the ferries at Masindi Port are all repaired and ready to go. They have done successful tests, so those ferries will be available for drivers and transporters to use when the bridges are closed.
 

The repairs on Karuma Bridge were paused for sometime so they could finish fixing the ferries at Masindi. Now that the ferries are repaired, they can set up some detours when the bridges close.
 

The Ministry of Works and Transport is advising everyone traveling along that route to think ahead about their journey and keep an eye out for any updates. If you’re planning to drive, it's a good idea to take the alternative routes they have designated to avoid getting stranded and any unnecessary delays.

This is not the first time the Karuma Bridge has been taken out of service for repairs. Back in May 2024, they had to close it down because of some serious structural problems. It reopened in December after they did a thorough job fixing it up. Now, the Ministry is back at it again, planning more maintenance work to make sure the bridge stays strong.