Postwar Reconnaissance of Bridge Damage in Khartoum, Sudan

Abstract

The 2023 armed conflict in Khartoum caused extensive damage to critical transportation infrastructure, including bridges spanning the River Nile, Blue Nile, and White Nile, as well as urban flyover and highway bridges. These structures are vital for urban mobility, emergency response, and economic activity. This study presents postwar reconnaissance of 10 Nile-crossing bridges, four urban flyovers, and two highway bridges, based on visual inspections, photographic documentation, video records, aerial imagery, and comparative assessment. Observed damage includes pier failures causing span collapse, superstructure deterioration, bearing and expansion joint impairment, and functional disruption. The paper focuses on recording perishable postconflict evidence rather than quantitative structural evaluation. A systematic bridge-by-bridge damage assessment framework is developed to classify observed damage conditions, evaluate component vulnerability, and compare bridge performance across the surveyed network. Findings identify vulnerable bridge components and highlight implications for structural redundancy, postconflict inspection prioritization, safety, maintenance, and recovery planning. This work emphasizes the need for systematic postwar inspections and prioritized intervention strategies, providing rare empirical insight into conflict-induced bridge failures in urban environments.