Uhuru to commission Likoni floating bridge
Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia (third left) leads a delegation in touring the Likoni floating bridge in this picture taken on December 04, 2020.
What you need to know:
- The bridge has a 150-metre movable section mid-ocean, to allow for opening and closing.
- The bridge also comprises a 529-metre long floating section and 54-metre long approaches on either side of the floating span.
President Uhuru Kenyatta will Thursday officially commission the Sh1.9 billion Likoni Floating bridge.
Residents of Mombasa have been eagerly waiting the commissioning of the bridge which stretches from Liwatoni in Mombasa to Ras Bofu (Peleleza) in Likoni.
The Head of State will be accompanied by visiting Ethiopia Prime Minister Dr Abiy Ahmed during the launch at Liwatoni in Mombasa, according to communication from State House.
The two Head of States were together in Marsabit and Lamu counties on Wednesday where they inaugurated the Moyale One-Stop Border Post (OSBP) in before inspecting the ongoing construction works at the new Lamu port.
"President Uhuru Kenyatta and visiting Prime Minister of Ethiopia will tomorrow, Thursday December 10, 2020, officially launch the Sh1.9 billion Liwatoni Pedestrian Floating Bridge in Mombasa County," State House spokesperson Kanze Dena said in a statement on Wednesday evening.
Ease congestion
The 1.2 kilometer pedestrian bridge, Ms Dena said, is a first of its kind in the region and is designed to ease congestion at the Likoni channel.
She said the launch of the project will ease pressure on ferries at the Likoni channel which will be left to serve vehicular and cargo crossing between Mombasa Island and the South Coast.
The bridge has a 150-metre movable section mid-ocean, to allow for opening and closing and ease the movement of ships in and out of the Mombasq port.
The upper section of the bridge comprises lattice steel designed from prefabricated parts with a movable main steel structure.
The bridge also comprises a 529-metre long floating section and 54-metre long approaches on either side of the floating span, according to the designs.
A pile foundation is formed by long, slender, columnar elements typically made from steel or reinforced concrete.
The bridge is expected to be dismantled and taken to Lamu or any other place after the government constructs the Mombasa Gateway Bridge which will be a permanent project.
