Martyrs Bridge in Juba. (Photo: Lou Nelson/Eye Radio).

The Minister of Road and Bridges has inaugurated the Martyrs Bridge linking the Jebel neighborhood to University of Juba roundabout after months of construction funded by the Japanese government.

The bridge also named Shuhada will serve a busy traffic at the bottle neck street from Juba University Roundabout to Gaida military hospital in Atla-bara suburb.

Minister Simon Mijok Mijak has opened it for public use and urges the Juba City Council to take charge of its cleanness as the public uses it.

Mijak also reveals that another mini bridge used as an alternative to the Martyrs Bridge will be demolished, denying a request by Atla-bara residents to let it stand.

“During the construction of this bridge, our people persevered on dust and narrow detour as they go through to reach their homes and places of work. But the suffering has come to an end as we open this bridge today,” he said.

“From now, people are going to use it and start using the pedestrian. It is for the public to use it and, as I said, unfortunately we are going to lose the temporary bridge from tomorrow. And then our commitment, we are going to build a concrete one in its place.”

On his part, the Japanese Ambassador to South Sudan Toshio Odagiri says his government’s development partnership is not only based on physical infrastructure but also on sustainable development.

He urges the government and City Council to maintain the bridge and pledges his government commitment in building capacity of South Sudanese engineers to maintain bridges through transfer of technology.

“I’d like to emphasize that Japan is not only involved in the construction of the physical infrastructure, but is also constantly supporting South Sudan’s self-sustainable development through technology transfer to its people.”

“The bridge does not end with its completion. Proper maintenance is also required. For its continued safe use, Japan has continuously worked on the human resource development by sending experts to Juba to teach maintenance technology.”