Cross-border trade between Kenya and Tanzania at the Lunga-Lunga One Stop Border Post (OSBP) is set to increase following the opening of a link with the Port of Mombasa following the completion of the Dongo Kundu Bypass.
The completion and opening of the US$307,106 infrastructure within the Port of Mombasa road network this week will enable the transport of goods to Namanga, the second busiest Kenya-Tanzania border, without the need to use the Likoni ferry.
The project will later be connected to the 460-kilometer East African Coastal Corridor development project between Malindi and Bagamoyo, which is funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and a grant from the European Union.
According to the latest data from the two border trading countries, Tanzania mainly exports agricultural products across the border, while Kenya exports manufactured goods and raw materials.
The contract was awarded to the Fujita Corporation-Mitsubishi Corporation consortium on February 20, 2019. The signing took place on April 18, 2019, and the contract was scheduled to end in March 2024. However, according to the Kenya National Highways Authority (Kenha), the contract was completed earlier.
Construction work, carried out by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, began in 2018 and has now reached a crucial phase with the partial opening of the roadway.
With a total length of around 17.5 kilometres, the bypass will revolutionise connectivity in the region and will particularly benefit the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) and Mombasa International Airport.
Samuel Ogege, Kenha’s Deputy Director and Senior Project Manager, confirmed the successful handover of the project to the client.
“An internal committee has been appointed to oversee the handover process and ensure that the bypass meets all safety and operational standards before it is fully operational. Although the bypass is currently operational, it will be formally opened afterwards to mark the completion of this landmark project,” said Mr Ogege.
The contract was awarded to the Fujita Corporation-Mitsubishi Corporation consortium on February 20, 2019.
Conceived more than two decades ago, the Coastline Transnational Highway project spans Bagamoyo-Tanga-Horohoro on the Tanzanian side and Lunga Lunga-Mombasa-Mtwapa-Malindi on the Kenyan side and is expected to cost $751 million.
According to a financing agreement, the AfDB will finance 70 percent of the highway and the governments of Kenya and Tanzania 30 percent. On the Kenyan side, two phases between Mombasa and Kilifi are already 85 percent complete.
Samuel Ogege, Deputy Director of Kenya National Highways Authority (Kenha) and Senior Project Manager, confirmed the successful handover of the project to the client.
“An internal committee has been appointed to oversee the handover process and ensure that the bypass meets all safety and operational standards before it is fully operational. Although the bypass is currently operational, it will be formally opened afterwards to mark the completion of this landmark project,” said Mr Ogege.
The toll-free road, built with the help of a Japanese loan and support from the Kenyan government, comes as a huge relief as Kenya Ferry Services (KFS) is expected to incur losses due to the boom in the tourism sector.
The project, a monumental engineering feat, includes the construction of the peninsula.
With a total length of around 17.5 kilometres, the bypass will revolutionise connectivity in the region and will significantly benefit both SGR and Mombasa International Airport.
The three bridges are the 660-meter-long Mwache Bridge, the Tsunza Viaduct (690 m) and the Mteza Bridge. At 1,440 meters, it is considered the longest water bridge in the country and the region and will also play an important role in tourism as it offers road users special views.
KeNHA Deputy Director and Senior Project Manager, Samuel Ogege, confirmed the successful handover of the project to the client and stressed that the road is ready for public use.
“An internal committee has been appointed to oversee the handover process and ensure that the bypass meets all safety and operational standards before it is fully operational. Although the bypass is currently operational, it will be formally opened afterwards to mark the completion of this landmark project,” said Mr Ogege.
