By Philip Buda Ladu
The Juba Freedom Bridge construction project that is being implemented by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) as a grant from the Japanese government to the people of South Sudan is at its finishing stage.
This new development was revealed to the Vice President for Infrastructure Cluster, General Taban Deng Gai and the National Minister of Roads and Bridges, Simon Mijok Mijak upon their inspection visit to the construction site on Thursday.
The Resident Engineer, Umeda Norio who is in charge of the project for the construction of the Juba Freedom Bridge along the Nile River said they are left with only some small embedment work on the bridge which will be ready by early July next year.
Engineer Norio said the work of Civil Engineering is the construction of something from nothing.
“Before there was nothing in this area but now you can see a big structure that is our job, I am very much happy to contribute to this Freedom Bridge for the people of South Sudan” Eng. Norio said.
“To the public as I said 6th of July 2022 for the Bridge to open, only small work for the embedment is remaining” Engineer Norio confirmed.
Juba Freedom Bridge which connects Gumbo to Lologo is being constructed along the Nile, South of the old Juba Bridge and expected to ease heavy traffic on the Gumbo Bridge under repair especially heavy trucks importing goods from the East African market to the Capital Juba.
Simon Mijok Mijak, the National Minister of Roads and Bridges assured the people of South Sudan that very soon they will begin reaping the dividends of the new Juba Freedom Bridge.
“The Ministry of Roads and Bridges is very grateful to announce to the public that very soon we are going to use this Bridge” Minister Mijok affirmed.
Mijok applauded JICA and the people of Japan for their tremendous engineering work for the people of South Sudan. He said they have already started another Bridge construction in Wau and their plans and feasibility studies team is already in Malakal to see the site for the next bridge to come up.
Meanwhile, Gen. Taban Deng Gai the Vice President for Infrastructure Cluster said the Freedom Bridge named after the independence of South Sudan as a grant from the Government of Japan will boost economic activities across the country.
“The bridge is going to ease communication between parts of South Sudan, Uganda and the Western part of the Nile, it’s going to boost a lot of economic activities for the city of Juba, for the other areas; Western Equatoria, Bahr El Ghazal and Upper Nile Region” Gen. Taban asserted.
He stated that they have initiated discussion at lower level especially with the former Ambassador of Japan to Juba that they want more grants for such kind of support in order to build more Bridges.
Gen. Taban urged the people of South Sudan to maintain peace and stability saying the Freedom Bridge came as a result of peace.
He added that once there is stability a lot of developments will come while appealing to the people to fight corruption.
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