Makupa Causeway

Makupa Causeway
Route information
Length:	1.5 mi (2.4 km)
Major junctions
North end:	Tudor Roundabout, Mombasa
South end:	Magongo Circus, Changamwe
Location
Counties:	Mombasa District
Highway system
Roads in Kenya

An aerial view of the causeway, 2010.

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 New Nyali Bridge and the Changamwe Bridge.

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