After flash floods in Kampala, Uganda’s capital, a major bridge collapsed, cutting off access to the south and west of the country.
Knee-deep running water across the road halted morning rush-hour traffic on Thursday.
Later in the day, when the water had subsided, it was found that a section of the bridge over the River Katonga had been washed away.
Large swaths of the Lwera swamp, an important part of the Lake Victoria catchment, have been reclaimed for farming, and there has been extensive sandmining in the region in recent years.
The government agency in charge of roads has been suggesting that people take detours around the major cities of Masaka and Mbarara, and even further to the borders.
At least one of the detours adds at least 200 kilometers (124 miles) to the journey time between Mpigi town and Masaka city.
Since it is the main highway for exports and imports to and from Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, it is an important travel and trade route for the country.
The Great Lakes region of East Africa has been hit by extreme weather, leading to devastating floods.
The recent landslides and flooding in Uganda have claimed the lives of at least 20 people.
Hundreds of people have also died in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo due to flooding.
