Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The National Ministry of Roads and Bridges oversaw a technical inspection at Clement Mboro Bridge in Western Bahr el Ghazal on Saturday ahead of its handing over to the government.
Simon Mijok Mijak said the Chinese-built bridge has been opened for a one-week inspection which will allow heavy duty trucks to pass through it.
“The work on the bridge has finished, but the procedure for technical inspection remains. We will now test the bridge for a week and allow large trucks to cross,” he said.
Minister Mijak said the permissible weight to cross the bridge is 49 tons but added that the capacity will be reduced with the longevity of the bridge.
He added that the construction company will hand over the bridge after 14 days.
“We remain only with the procedures for handing over the bridge from the Chinese company to the government, the Ministry is working on the basis that within two weeks we will officially receive the bridge, and then we will submit the report to the President of the Republic.”
On her part, Western Barh el Gazal State governor, Sarah Cleto Rial said citizens who lost their properties during the construction will be compensated.
“We in western Bhar el Gazal, are very grateful for this project, which was completed recently, and we are now in the process of handing it over,” Cleto said to state-television SSBC.
“We are sure there will be also compensation for those who lost their buildings on the west side of the bridge during the construction.”
In 2020, the Government of China offered to build a bridge over the Jur River in Wau, and the agreement that was signed referred to the project as the Jur River Bridge.
In March 2021, the China Tianyuan Construction Group Company Limited together with China Aid for Shared Future started the construction of the new bridge but one year after construction started, the National Council of Ministers resolved to name it the Clement Mboro Bridge.
The choice of name is in remembrance of late veteran politician Clement Mboro who hailed from Wau County in Western Bahr el Ghazal State.
However, in November 2023, local youth from Luo community in Jur River County complained about the bridge name, prompting the formation of an investigation committee over the issue.
This came after tension gripped Wau as Luo youth presented a petition to the state authorities rejecting the name Clement Mboro Bridge.
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