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]

Makupa Causeway
Coordinates4°01′59″S 39°39′02″E / 4.033122°S 39.650464°E / -4.033122; 39.650464
CarriesA109 trunk road,
Uganda Railway
Characteristics
Total length1.5 miles (2.4 km)
Location
Map

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

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A freight train en route to the port of Mombasa passes through Makupa Causeway.

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

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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

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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

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  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 Archived 2005-05-07 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ BBC NEWS | World | Africa | Kenyans ill in 'toxic waste' leak

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