By William Madouk
The Ministry of Road and Bridges has commissioned the Japan-sponsored Martyrs (Shuhada) Bridge in Juba, a bridge that connects the road from the University of Juba to Giada and Jebel Market.
The initiative, titled “The Project for the Construction of Bridges in Juba,” began in mid-2022 and aims to build three key bridges: Albino Bridge, Kokora (or Tajaria) Bridge, and Martyrs Bridge.
After approximately one year of construction, Martyrs Bridge was officially opened to the public on Monday.
In his opening remarks, Simon Mijok Mijak, the Minister of Road and Bridges, expressed his delight at the commissioning of the Shuhada Bridge, funded by the Japanese government.
“Today (Yesterday) we are gathered here to witness the opening of martyr’s bridges to the traffic,” Said Mijak.
“The opening of Martyrs Bridge followed the opening of Albino Bridge which was done this year in February 2024,” he added.
Mr. Mijak noted that during the construction public preserves dust and narrow roads as they go about their business and homes, however, he added that this has come to an end as the bridge is now open.
“But such suffering has come to an end as we open this bridge to the public today and I must also thank JICA, the contractor, and City Eye for applying Japanese standards while building this road,”
He revealed that the Kokora or Tajaria Bridge is expected to be officially commissioned in December this year.
Besides, the Japanese ambassador to South Sudan, Odagiri Toshio said “this Bridge has become a successful project that South Sudan and Japan have achieved together.”
He emphasized that Japan is not only involved in construction alone but also constantly supporting the country’s self-sustainable development through technology transfer to its people.
Mr. Toshio revealed that his government has sent Japanese experts to Juba to teach maintenance technology to their South Sudanese counterparts in the Ministry of Road and Bridges.
JICA representative, Mr. Tanaka Hiroyuki stated that “today’s handover marks a critical milestone in the progress of this grant aid project entitled “the project for construction of Bridges in Juba.”
He noted that JICA aims to support South Sudan’s authority in the development of sustainable transport infrastructure and enable unhindered movement, and safe transport of commuters and goods.