Source of the Nile Bridge, also referred to as New Jinja Bridge, is located in Njeru, a neighborhood in Jinja across the Victoria Nile and between the ancient bridge (Nalubaale Power Station) and the Nile’s source.
Located in Njeru, a Jinja neighborhood across the Victoria Nile, the Source of the Nile Bridge also known as the New Jinja Bridge is located between the old bridge (Nalubaale Power Station) to the north and the Nile’s source to the south.
Close to the north of this bridge is where the Uganda Railways line crosses the Victoria Nile. The New Jinja Nile bridge is about 82 kilometers (51 miles) east of Kampala, Uganda’s capital city, on the projected Kampala-Jinja Expressway.
On 17 October 2018, this new 525-meter-long Source of the Nile Bridge was personally commissioned by his Excellency the President of Uganda.
This enormous cable-stayed bridge is one of the most striking structures in Jinja. It has 72 harp-like white cables that connect the bridge deck to its two 69-meter-tall inverted-Y pylon towers.
This has made it a picturesque location for travelers.
How and Why the New Jinja Nile Bridge was constructed
In November 2013, a major construction company in South Korea called Hyundai Engineering & Construction received a contract to construct the New Jinja Nile Bridge. It marked their entry into the Ugandan construction sector.
The construction of the Jinja Bridge was expected to significantly advance the country’s underdeveloped transportation infrastructure and economic development in Africa.
Now, when it comes to having natural resources, Africa is richly blessed. Most african nations are seen as having limitless potential due to their rapidly expanding young population and high birth rate.
The African logistics sector, however, is unable to function due to a lack of transportation infrastructure. This often slows national economic growth.
In the case of Uganda, the main entry point for trade is the Mombasa port in Kenya. However, it takes at least 10 days to go by car from Mombasa to Kampala. This is because Mombasa is nearly 1,000 kilometers distant.
The Ugandan government was determined to build a new road and a bridge to shorten the time it took for cargo to travel from Mombasa to Kampala.
In January 2010, the Ugandan government signed an agreement with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). JICA is a governmental organization established by Japan to coordinate economic and social cooperation with developing countries.
Additionally, The Uganda National Roads Authority(UNRA) awarded the contract for building the Jinja Bridge to the Zenitaka-Hyundai joint venture.
The success was mostly due to the temporary bridge and coffering, which are projected to reduce ecosystem disruption and drinking water source pollution.
With the Jinja Bridge Project, the Nile River in the Jinja area was to be crossed by a 525-meter, four-lane bridge, and a 2,105-meter road in just 55 months.
In the transaction, Zenitaka Corporation retained a 51 percent stake, leaving Hyundai E&C with a 49 percent stake (valued at 627.0 billion dollars) (worth 652.6 billion dollars).
As the first cable-stayed bridge in Eastern Africa, the Jinja Bridge was the focus of attention for both the Ugandan government and its neighbors. The building site chose the automatic climbing formwork technology and multi-strand cables to create 82.2-meter high pylons for the iconic bridge.
Dealing with an incredibly hard rock during the construction of the piling foundation was one of the project’s most unexpected challenges.
The time required to mobilize new and additional equipment suitable for exceptionally hard rock was more than three months. This was more than surpassing the original plan.
The building site worked round-the-clock on expeditious construction to find a solution to this issue.
Today, the New Jinja Nile Bridge stands. Its the first cable-stayed bridge in Eastern Africa. The new bridge has significantly improved logistics capabilities in the “Pearl of Africa” and serves as a national icon.
It is the second structure of its kind in East Africa, following Tanzania’s 680-meter-long Kigamboni Bridge. It is anticipated that the bridge would last 120 years.
Other interesting things about the Jinja Nile bridge
A much-loved tourist destination
Both domestic and foreign tourists enjoy traveling to the source of the Nile bridge. We’ve shared almost all the intriguing information about it.
Now, all you need to do is travel across the bridge for a wonderful journey filled with amazing memories, experiences, and adventures.
It is absolutely free to access the bridge. If you’re worried about how much money you’ll need to bring, just carry your camera and get ready to snap some spectacular, insane, and exciting adventure pictures.
Fantastic lighting
The 202 Light-Emitting Diode (LED) bulbs at the base of the cables provide an intriguing exhibit on the Source of the Nile bridge.
It offers a variety of hues, but more importantly, yellow and red lighting. The colors blend exquisitely into the pitch-black night. This enhances the superb visibility of Uganda’s flag’s primary national hues.
Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) supervised construction
We salute UNRA- Uganda National Roads Authority for the bridge’s inventive architectural design and hard work. We congratulate them on the successful completion to improve travelers’ quality of life.
Currently, UNRA is working on a variety of road network projects in the country. In addition to the bridge upgrade, they are working on Uganda’s road infrastructure to promote safe travel and economic growth.
The 5th Longest Bridge in Africa
After the Suez Canal Bridge in Egypt (3,900m), the Lekki Ikoyi Bridge in Nigeria (1,360m), the Mohammed VI Bridge in Morocco (950m), and Tanzania’s Kigamboni Bridge, the 525m long cable-stayed bridge is the fifth-longest.
It comes in second place in Tanzania in East Africa.
Entrance to the tourist city of Uganda.
Jinja is a fascinating city with a stunning landscape, a rich natural environment, and hotels tucked away on the river’s edge. In addition to visiting the Nile’s source, there are numerous other tourist attractions to visit.
These include white water rafting on the Nile, bungee jumping, kayaking, quad biking, horseback riding, and zip lining, as well as luxurious lodging that is suitable for both business and leisure travelers.
Images for the New Jinja Nile bridge
Conclusion
Bridges are immensely attractive and are well known for reducing traffic congestion and connecting different locations. However, they are also extensively constructed to draw tourists.
The majority of excited people can’t help but stop to admire the bridge’s stunning architecture and take pictures of it. And, we are convinced that the New Jinja Nile Bridge has achieved most of this.
