Makupa Causeway

Makupa Causeway
Carries Trunk road, Uganda Railway
Characteristics
Total length 1.5 miles (2.4 km)

The Makupa Causeway (Swahili pron. [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

The causeway is a dual-purpose transport corridor that carries a trunk road (serving the main 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]

Checkpoint

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

  1. A. W. Muohia, J. M. Onyarib: "Heavy metals in sediments from Makupa and Port–Reitz Creek systems: Kenyan Coast" (2002)
  2. East African Railways
  3. BBC NEWS | World | Africa | Kenyans ill in 'toxic waste' leak

Coordinates: 4°1′59.24″S 39°39′01.67″E / 4.0331222°S 39.6504639°E / -4.0331222; 39.6504639

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Thursday, October 23, 2014. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.