The Makupa causeway which had been an eye sore with overflowing garbage, suffocating stench, and traffic jams has been replaced with a four-lane Makupa bridge with walkways.

“Construction of the Makupa Bridge is complete. What is happening on one side is the construction of a railway line by the Kenya Railways Corporation,” said Engineer Simon Omwono of the Kenya National Highways Authority.

The causeway was built in 1929 by the British and affected the natural flow of water into the Tudor and Port Reitz creeks, altering the geographical status of the island and interfering with the marine ecosystem across the channel. After the UN threat to delist Mombasa as an island, the government moved with speed to build the new bridge.

The Makupa causeway is the only link between Moi International Airport, Standard Gauge Railway station, and vehicles and has been the cause of traffic delays for tourists heading to the airport. The sh 4.5 billion bridge is expected to decongest the road and ease transportation in and out of the city.

The bridge brings with it hope to revamp tourism. ‘Kenya Tourism Board can now ride on the Makupa bridge to market Mombasa. We’ll plant mangroves and explore watersports in the future,” said Dr.Ikwaye, the coast chief executive of the Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers.