The New Jinja Bridge has been the latest sensation in Busoga region, and eastern Uganda as a whole. A nice piece of development, the bridge has become the new icon of Jinja, welcoming and ushering travelers into the Jinja City, and bidding farewell to those exiting. It is a popular spot that has lots of local travelers making a stop to take photos and marvel at this huge piece of infrastructure development.
On the Jinja day trip the bridge has become the place to start the Jinja tour before continuing to visit the Source of the Nile and other wonderful places to visit and see in Jinja.
However, note that before taking any pics at the bridge you must first introduce yourself to the security at the bridge and request for permission which is always granted anyway. You do not pay anything!
All major bridges in Uganda (which are on the Nile) are manned by security (military) and stopping for photography is totally prohibited! The New Jinja Nile bridge is the only exception at the moment. So do not miss the opportunity to check out this nice piece of engineering as you experience the Nile, possibly for the first time.
At night the bridge lights up beautifully and the picture is different from the day one.
The New Jinja Nile bridge is a cable stayed bridge, a first of its kind in Uganda and one of the few in East Africa. Crossing the Nile at 525 meters in length, it is second to the Nyerere bridge (more than 600 meters) in Tanzania.
Eat at the bridge…
There is a restaurant at the bridge. It is therefore more than just a brief stopover for photos, but a nice stopover point to have lunch and refresh by the River Nile. It is a place to think about to break your long journey to eastern Uganda, say if heading to visit the Sipi Falls, Mount Elgon, Pian Upe etc..
