Makupa Causeway
Makupa Causeway | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 4°01′59″S 39°39′02″E / 4.033122°S 39.650464°E |
| Carries | A109 trunk road, Uganda Railway |
| Characteristics | |
| Total length | 1.5 miles (2.4 km) |
| Location | |
 | |
The Makupa Causeway (Swahili pronunciation: [maˈkupa]) is a causeway linking Mombasa island to the Kenyan mainland. The road runs for approximately one and a half miles between the Magongo Circus and Makupa Circus. The causeway dissects Tudor Creek to the east and Port Reitz Creek to the west.[1]
The causeway is one of three road links between the island and the Kenyan mainland – the other two being the Nyali Bridge and the Kipevu Causeway.
Function[edit]
The causeway is a dual-purpose transport corridor that carries a trunk road (serving the main A109 Mombasa-Nairobi road route) and the Uganda Railway.[2] The road is split into a two-level route (the south-bound carriageway is elevated on an embankment) and traffic is restricted to fifty miles per hour. The road serves few businesses except a large waste disposal site in the Kipevu district. In 2008, the area was the site of a considerable toxic waste leak.[3]
History[edit]
Built in 1929 by the Colonial British Government, the causeway replaced the Britannia Bridge which had been completed in 1899. In addition to the rail crossing, the causeway incorporated a road crossing. It was originally called the Macupa Causeway. It spans approximately 1200ft (365m).
Checkpoint[edit]
The south end of the causeway is the site of an armed police checkpoint. This is primarily for immigration purposes, but also functions as a traffic policing location.
References[edit]
- ^ A. W. Muohia, J. M. Onyarib: "Heavy metals in sediments from Makupa and Port–Reitz Creek systems: Kenyan Coast" (2002)
- ^ East African Railways Archived 2005-05-07 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ BBC NEWS | World | Africa | Kenyans ill in 'toxic waste' leak