Construction of the 250 metres bridge connecting the port of Mombasa to the standard gauge railway (SGR) Mombasa terminus is now complete.
The bridge will link to a rail extension that stretches 2.7 kilometres from the SGR terminus to shipping cargo bays. As a result, fewer trucks will be used to transport goods from ship to rail.
The bridge will be part of the SGR Port Relief Line that is 2.726 kilometres and covers ten berths at the port of Mombasa according to the China Communication Construction company.
Enhancing the Movement of Goods from Ship to Rail
The Mombasa port bridge will enable easy movement of bulky goods like cement, iron, clinker, and steel to the SGR. The Kenya Ports Authority has been offloading the goods with cranes which are then transported to the SGR by trucks.
Currently, freighters using the SGR pay a flat fee of $347.7 for a 20-foot container and $397.4 for a 40-foot container from Mombasa to the Embakasi Inland Container Depot (ICD). On the other hand, freighters pay $248.38 to transport a 20-foot container and $298.06 for a 40-foot container from ICD to Mombasa.
Kenya Railways wants SGR to be the main means of transporting goods from Mombasa and is currently working to ensure that the process is efficient.
