Motorists using the busy Kampala-Masaka Highway are being urged to prepare for temporary traffic delays after the Ministry of Works and Transport announced the start of asphalt-laying works on the new Katonga bridge road approaches, signalling that the long-awaited reconstruction project is entering its final stages.
In a traffic advisory issued on Friday, the ministry said the contractor has commenced laying asphalt at the Katonga works section, with the exercise expected to last three days under a half-width carriageway arrangement.
The temporary arrangement will reduce available road space and is likely to slow traffic movement along one of Uganda's most important transport corridors.
The advisory, signed by Permanent Secretary Bageya Waiswa, asked motorists to plan their journeys carefully, follow guidance from traffic police officers and site marshals, and avoid reckless overtaking that could worsen congestion.
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The latest development marks a major milestone in the restoration of a road section whose destruction in 2023 exposed the vulnerability of Uganda's transport infrastructure and disrupted trade between Kampala and western Uganda for months.
The Katonga bridge section became a national concern after devastating flash floods washed away parts of the old bridge and surrounding road infrastructure in May 2023, cutting off direct traffic along the Kampala-Masaka Highway.
The destruction forced authorities to divert heavy trucks through the longer Mpigi-Kanoni-Sembabule-Masaka route, significantly increasing transport costs and travel time for businesses, cargo transporters, and passengers.
Government officials later acknowledged that the old bridge structure could no longer withstand changing environmental conditions around River Katonga.
Works and Transport Minister Gen Edward Katumba Wamala told Parliament last year that engineers first had to study the river's changing meteorological and hydrological patterns before constructing a more resilient bridge capable of withstanding future floods.
"We could not rush into establishing more or less the same bridge which had been compromised," Katumba said at the time, noting that the reconstruction had to factor in increased water pressure and changing terrain patterns around the swampy Katonga and Lwera sections.
The reconstruction works are being undertaken by China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), which has handled several major infrastructure projects in Uganda.
According to project updates, engineers working on the site faced challenges including soft sandy terrain, high water levels in wetlands, and extremely heavy traffic flow along the highway. Officials said these conditions slowed progress but also influenced the redesign of the road section.
The project has also included widening sections of the road from seven metres to approximately eleven metres around Katonga, Lwera, and Lukaya in a bid to improve traffic flow and road safety.
For many Ugandans, the near completion of the Katonga section represents more than just the restoration of a bridge.
The Kampala-Masaka Highway remains one of Uganda's busiest trade and passenger routes, linking Kampala to southwestern Uganda while serving as a key gateway to Rwanda, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Thousands of trucks, buses, and private vehicles use the corridor daily, making it one of the country's most economically significant highways.
The temporary collapse of the Katonga section in 2023 exposed how heavily Uganda depends on a few strategic transport corridors. Businesses transporting fuel, agricultural produce, construction materials, and cross-border goods faced delays and increased operational costs as traffic was redirected through longer alternative routes.
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Residents and traders in affected areas also reported reduced business activity during the prolonged disruption.
Now, with asphalt works underway and officials describing the project as nearing completion, expectations are growing that normal traffic movement along the corridor could soon resume fully.
Recent updates from the Ministry of Works and Transport indicate that the reconstruction is now in its final stages, with visible progress already transforming the once-devastated section.
Authorities, however, continue to urge motorists to remain patient during the final phase of construction.
The ministry said traffic control measures have been put in place throughout the works period, while motorists seeking to avoid delays may temporarily use the Mpigi-Kanoni-Gomba-Sembabule route as an alternative.
