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Construction of Sh25b link bridge to start

Coast
Ministry of Transport Principal Secretary John Musonik (right) addresses the media when he led a team of engineers to inspect Changamwe-Airport road. The government has received a loan of Sh25 billion from Jica for the construction of Miritini-Kipevu road. [Photo: Omondi Onyango/Standard]

 

A Government official has announced that the construction of the Sh25 billion bridge connecting Mombasa Island with the Kenyan South Coast will start in February next year.

Currently, access to South Coast from Mombasa Island is by ferry across the Likoni channel.

Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Principal Secretary in the charge of Infrastructure John Mosonik, yesterday said the ministry is implementing one of the flagship projects under the Vision 2030 initiative.

The Mombasa Bypass Project is to link the West Mainland to a proposed port at Dongo Kundu.

"This project will play a pivotal role in the development of the untapped tourism potential in South Coast," he said.

The Government received a loan of approximately Sh25 billion from the Japan International Co-operation (Jica), which was signed on June 2, 2012. The project will be implemented in three-work packages.

Package one of the work module will involve the construction of the Miritini to Kipevu link road while package two is the construction of the Mwache to Dongo Kundu road, including construction of long–span bridges over the sea.

Package three will cover the Dongo Kundu to Kibundani road.

"Already, tenders for package one have been evaluated and will soon be awarded, and construction works are expected to commence in early 2015, with a completion period of 30 months," said Mr Mosonik.

2015 projects

The PS was flanked by the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHa) Chairman Erastus Mwongera.

Mosonik added that packages two and three will be rolled out in 2015, and projected to be completed by 2017 and 2018 respectively.

He said as part of the development of a system of ring roads and bypasses around Mombasa to decongest the city, designs are underway for the proposed Mombasa northern bypass that will link Mazeras to the Mombasa-Malindi road in North Coast.

Other initiatives currently underway include development of a second Nyali bridge under a public-private partnership arrangement.

Mosonik said that with the support of the African Development Bank, the ministry's Department of Infrastructure has completed detailed designs and tender documentation for the Changamwe Roundabout-Jomvu-Miritini highway in order to address the increasing traffic congestion experienced on the highway.

The PS also revealed that the design for the upgrading and strengthening of the Malindi-Mombasa-Lunga Llunga road is at an advanced stage, and will be implemented as a regional project under sponsorship of the East African Community.

He said the Kenya Rural Roads Authority will upgrade some 100km of roads that include the 55km Likoni-Shelly Beach-Diani-Chale Jetty highway and the 45km Kilifi-Mariakani-Bamba road.

The Kenya Urban Roads Authority will also upgrade a total of 34km in various towns and municipalities in the coastal counties.

Mosonik said in the period of the 2014-2015 fiscal year, the three implementing authorities will carry out periodic and routine maintenance interventions for roads in the region with a budget of Sh670 million.

Mr Mwongera urged youths to take advantage of the Government's keen interest in infrastructure development and acquire basic skills that would enable them get jobs in firms contracted to build roads.

"The Jubilee government has unveiled an ambitious plan to construct additional roads and upgrade those that have not been tarmacked since independence over a duration of five years.

There shall be jobs available and youths should take the cue and acquire skills to enable them be employed as artisans and skilled workers by road construction firms," he said.

 

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