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The completion and opening of the USD 307,106 infrastructure this week within the Mombasa port road network, will enable the movement of goods to the second busiest border between Kenya and Tanzania after Namanga, without using the Likoni ferry.
Cross-border trade between Kenya and Tanzania at Lunga-Lunga One Stop Border Post (OSBP) will increase after connection with the port of Mombasa was opened after the completion of Dongo Kundu bypass. The completion and opening of the USD 307,106 infrastructure this week within the Mombasa port road network, will enable the movement of goods to the second busiest border between Kenya and Tanzania after Namanga, without using the Likoni ferry.
An internal committee has been appointed to oversee the handover process, ensuring that the bypass meets all safety and operational standards before full-scale utilisation. Although the bypass is currently in use, an official ceremonial opening will follow, celebrating the completion of this landmark project
The construction, undertaken by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, commenced in 2018 and has now reached a pivotal phase with the partial opening of the roadway. With a total length of about 17.5 kilometres, the bypass is set to revolutionise the region’s connectivity with the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) and Mombasa International Airport benefiting a lot. The Kenya National Highways Authority (KENHA) Deputy Director Samuel Ogege, the project’s lead manager, confirmed the project’s successful handover to the client.
The project will later connect with the 460-kilometre East African Coastal Corridor development project between Malindi and Bagamoyo, which is being funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and a grant from the European Union. The contract was awarded to the Fujita Corporation-Mitsubishi Corporation consortium on February 20, 2019, and was expected to be completed by March 2024, but it was completed earlier according to KENHA. The project covers Bagamoyo-Tanga-Horohoro on the Tanzania side and Lunga Lunga-Mombasa-Mtwapa-Malindi on the Kenyan side and is expected to cost USD 751 million. AfDB will finance 70 percent of the highway and the governments of Kenya and Tanzania will cover 30 per cent. On the Kenyan side, already two phases between Mombasa and Kilifi are at 85 percent complete. KENHA Deputy Director Samuel Ogege, the project’s lead manager, confirmed the project’s successful handover to the client.
The toll-free road, as it was built using a Japanese loan with support from the government of Kenya, becomes a huge relief with Kenya Ferry Services (KFS) expected to incur losses as the tourism sector registers a boom.
Read Also:
https://trendsnafrica.com/kenya-tanzania-bilateral-trade-dwon-over-19/
https://trendsnafrica.com/kenyas-trade-with-eac-partners-to-grow/
The project, a monumental feat of engineering, includes the construction of the Peninsula. With a total length of approximately 17.5 kilometers, the bypass is set to revolutionize the region’s connectivity with SGR and Mombasa International Airport benefiting a lot. The three bridges are Mwache Bridge spanning 660 meters and the other two bridges Tsunza Viaduct (690m) and the Mteza Bridge, which is expected to be the longest bridge over water in the country and region straddling 1,440 metres will also play a key tourism sector as it has special scenic views for road users.
