• Bridge closed due to advanced deterioration

• Emergency rehabilitation announced; a new reinforced concrete bridge will replace the old structure.

• Local communities fear produce shortages and losses for traders and transporters.

Due to the advanced deterioration of the Lovoy bridge, located between Lueji and Lunge on national road n°1, traffic between Lubumbashi and Kamina has been halted for several days. Consequently, the local civil society worries over possible shortages of produce in Kamina’s markets.

Official sources report that the bridge, originally designed for small loads, has faced years of heavy traffic from trucks, causing progressive subsidence and making it dangerous or impassable.

In response, Haut-Lomami provincial infrastructure minister Venance Mutombo ordered the immediate suspension of traffic and announced rehabilitation work. The project involves the construction of a new reinforced concrete bridge to replace the current metal structure. No precise timetable has been given for the work.

Meanwhile, trucks remain blocked on both sides of the bridge, located about 20 kilometers from Kamina. Goods are at risk of deterioration and losses for traders and transporters, and drivers and travelers are forced to spend nights outdoors due to the absence of nearby accommodation facilities.

Boaz Kabeya