Juba Nile Bridge will be fully operational today after a one-month rehabilitation work.
The re-opening will be marked with a ceremony attended by the U.S. Ambassador to South Sudan, Susan Page, Roads and Bridges Minister Gier Chuang Aluong, UN Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Resident Humanitarian Coordinator Republic of South Sudan Lise Grande and other guests.Juba Bridge needed some repairs after an overloaded truck damaged the structure in mid-2011 affecting its safety.
The repair works that prevented a possible collapse of the bridge cost 740,000 US dollars and will extend the life of the existing structure until a planned new Nile River bridge is built.
JICA, the Japanese International Corporation Agency, completed preliminary designs for a new bridge over the Nile River to be completed by 2016.