One of the 21 stay cables to be put on the 526m long cable-stayed bridge across the Nilein Jinja has been installed. This is the first ever cable to be installed at the new Nile bridge in Jinja.
The new Nile bridge project is located about 82km by road east of the business capital, Kampala and 500m south of the existing Jinja-Kampala highway. The construction of the bridge is on course and substantial completion is expected in April 2018.
According to Eng.Pario Lawrence, the head of bridge and structures construction at Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA), the major challenging works in the water which included creating an artificial island, fracturing through the deep rocks underwater and socketing piles into the hard rocks are now complete.
Current construction work
Last month at pylon 2 structure, concrete casting for the 14th lift pylon top was completed. Steel reinforcement fixing for the 15th lift is in progress, with nine-cable stay anchorage boxes already installed.
Meanwhile some works have been successfully completed including 21 two-metre diameter reinforced cast concrete piles, pile cap, pylon base, including post tensioning of pylon base, construction of temporary bearings , installation of pot bearings and lateral bearings, construction of pier table and pylon legs and the installation of a tower crane.
At pylon 1 structure, concrete casting for the 12th lift-1 of the pylon top was completed, while steel reinforcement fixing for 12th lift-2 and 12th lift-3 is in progress.
The pier table for both sides was completed with all the longitudinal prestressing of both pier table stands and pier table bars, the construction of the first segment of pylon 1 to abutment 1 box girder from the pier table is in progress with rebar works for both bottom slab and web in progress and installation of pylon 1 and pylon 2 form traveler trusses is also in progress.
Other works
Road construction works which were also in progress, with section 2 embankment works on the Jinja side are also completed. Embankment section 5 and 6 and drainage works on the Njeru side are on-going. The box culvert was completed while the retaining wall is almost complete, with only one block remaining.
Pario said construction of all cross-service ducts, permanent relocation of water and sewer line and relocation of power line at Jinja side are all complete and in progress on the Njeru side. The relocation of the telecommunication fibres is on-going and a road station structural design is also in progress too.
IMPACTS OF THE BRIDGE ON THE ECONOMY
The new bridge will enhance tourism because of its picturesque location. There will also be knowledge transfer from foreign expertise to locals since the exchange of knowledge is ongoing.
It will also contribute to the country’s economic growth by promoting the economic development and integration of Uganda within the surrounding Central African countries and providing guarantees to people and trade movement on the Northern Corridor Route. (NCR)
The new Nile Bridge will ensure safety of the NCR transportation system by relieving traffic loading from the existing deteriorating Nalubaale bridge structure which was built in 1950.
The bridge will be the first of its kind in the region and will have a system and gadgets that will monitor the temperature, forces and stretches of the bridge cables.
Extract from constructionreviewonline.com