Africa’s fifth largest bridge, located in Uganda, has opened for traffic.
Dubbed ‘Source of the Nile’, the 525m-long cable-stayed overpass will ‘last for 120 years’, according to Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni, as reported by CNN.
Built across the Victoria Nile – the upper reaches of the White Nile – near the city of Jinja, the bridge is expected to reduce heavy traffic on the 64-year-old Nalubaale Bridge.
The US$112 million construction was funded by the Japanese International Co-operation Agency, with the Japanese government financing 80% as a loan at an annual interest rate of 0.01%, repayable in 10 years but extendable to 40 years.
According to Museveni, the bridge was completed within four years with the help of Ugandan workers, who comprised nearly 70% of the project’s technical staff.
