Our bridges need urgent attention

Right now, like most people in Southern Sudan, I wish it were raining. It’s 36˚C on average. It will get hotter before February and rivers and springs will dry-up. 

I want it to rain even though we have just emerged from a devastating rainy season which caused many disasters in Yei County. Two months ago, in heavy rain, the River Kanjoro was just one of many rivers that flooded and Kanjoro Bridge just one of many bridges that was destroyed. Like many of the bridges that suffered, it has not yet been replaced.

A temporary bridge crossing Hela Leven Tarawa River.

The bridge is essential because it connects Yei town to the suburbs of Logobero, Lomuku and Newside. People living in these areas have no choice now but to walk through the water. The river is about 10 meters wide and currently about a half a meter deep. Motorcycles and small cars face a hard tug-of-war to manouevre through. Only four-wheel drive vehicles can get across easily.

Yei is surrounded by rivers. The bridges are normally maintained by the local communities. They usually use weak materials that cannot stand the force of running water, especially the faster water of the rainy season. This fast-flowing water washes away timber that is usually used in the building of these bridges.

I talked to the local leader, Mr. Waningo, and he told me:

 “We definitely need help from the Government of Southern Sudan. On our own we cannot raise enough money to support the work. If only the government could have a hand in this, then we will build a strong bridge that will last for generations.” A local farmer, Mike Koma, echoed Waningo’s views: “I wish the government could intervene. We have a lot of agricultural produce that needs to be taken to markets. But we can not because the vehicles are only limited to town services. The roads are in such a terrible condition that vehicles cannot reach areas outside the town. Roads and rivers are impassable. The situation gets even worse during rainy seasons. So we have no transport for our products.”

Beginnings of bridge construction on River Yei

Also, where the government has built bridges, they have not always been adequate. A bridge over the Yei River along the Yei-Juba road was very narrow, requiring extremely slow, careful driving to cross it. Last year, an SPLA truck was reported to have skidded into the river after the driver lost control. Reports stated that seven people on board suffered serious injuries.

Many rivers in the county are still in alarming conditions, with many bridges washed away. Though many people, like me and especially farmers and pastoralists prefer wet periods to dry ones, it is in these periods that most disasters occur and when bad roads make remote areas out of reach.

Hopefully, enough resources will be organised to replace the bridges and maintain roads before the next rainy season comes.