Construction work on the second phase of the Dongo Kundu bypass project is taking shape. Eng. Mukiira said there is still significant construction work to do, but the scale of the mega project is becoming easier for people to grasp, as it takes shape.
“Right now we are in the thick of construction works and things are progressing on really well,” he told the CDICC team, adding that the project will in the long run relieve congestion on the existing infrastructure and unlock the economic opportunities in the region by helping spur businesses.
The 18-kilometre highway, to connect Mombasa and Kwale counties as well as southern Tanzania, is expected to ease the cost of transport and boost trade. The bypass will include construction of three bridges, two of which will cross over the Indian Ocean at Tsunza Peninsula. It is about 40% complete.
An all-weather dual carriageway
The project will also involve construction of an interchange at the Likoni-Lunga Lunga highway. It will have a 1.4-kilometre long Mteza Bridge, Mwache Bridge that will be 660 metres long and Tsunza viaduct bridge, over land that will be 690 metres long.
The bypass is an all-weather dual carriageway and will de-congest Mombasa and ease the movement of cargo and people between Mombasa and the South Coast region. The road will also boost trade between Kenya and southern Tanzania currently relying on ferries at the Likoni Channel and serve the Dongo Kundu Special Economic Zone (SEZ).
The bypass project which started in July 2016 is expected to decongest the Mombasa-Nairobi highway. The project runs from Mombasa Port’s second container terminal and links the highway at Bonje, near Mazeras. Phase one of the project was done by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation at a cost of Sh 12bn from July 2016 to June 2018. Kenya acquired financing of the bypass through loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) in 2014 with repayment option of up to 30 years at an interest rate of 1.2%.
