Makupa Causeway

Makupa Causeway is a concrete bridge with eleven spans that stretches roughly 450 meters across water, linking Mombasa island to mainland Kenya. The structure accommodates both rail traffic and road vehicles on a shared deck.

The original structure was built in 1929 by British colonial authorities to replace the older Britannia Bridge. This established a modern link that fundamentally changed regional infrastructure for trade and transport.

The causeway serves as a vital trade corridor where trucks and buses move constantly between the island and mainland. People depend on this route for commerce and daily movement between Mombasa and the rest of Kenya.

Vehicles should not exceed speeds of about 50 miles per hour (80 kilometers per hour), and travelers will encounter a police checkpoint at the southern entrance. Expect delays during peak hours since heavy truck traffic uses this route regularly.

The structure relies on 53 friction piles that penetrate between 35 and 49 meters deep into layers of muddy silts and clayey soils. This deep foundation system was necessary to keep the bridge stable on the unstable seabed.