The Makupa Causeway is a causeway

Causeway

In modern usage, a causeway is a road or railway elevated, usually across a broad body of water or wetland.- Etymology :When first used, the word appeared in a form such as “causey way” making clear its derivation from the earlier form “causey”. This word seems to have come from the same source by...

 linking Mombasa island

Mombasa

Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry....

 to the Kenyan mainland. The road runs for approximately one and a half miles between the Magongo Circus and Makupa Circus

Makupa Circus

The Makupa Circus is a primary road junction in Mombasa, Kenya. The roundabout is situated in the Makupa district of the island.The roundabout serves the majority of migrating traffic in Mombasa...

. The causeway dissects Tudor Creek to the east and Port Reitz Creek

Port Reitz

Port Reitz is a district of Mombasa, Kenya, and is located north-west of the island.- Mombasa Airport :Port Reitz is the location of Moi International Airport, the second largest airport in Kenya. The dual-runway airport was originally named Port Reitz Airport.- Port Reitz Hospital :At the end of...

 to the west.

The causeway is one of three road links between the island and the Kenyan mainland - the other two being the New Nyali Bridge

New Nyali Bridge

The Nyali Bridge is a concrete girder bridge connecting the city of Mombasa on Mombasa Island to the mainland of Kenya. The bridge crosses Tudor Creek to the north-east of the island. The bridge is one of two road links out of Mombasa...

 and the Changamwe Bridge.

Function

The causeway is a dual-purpose transport corridor

Transport corridor

A transportation corridor is a tract of land in which at least one main line for transport, be it road, rail or canal, has been built...

 that carries a trunk road

Trunk road

A trunk road, trunk highway, or strategic road is a major road—usually connecting two or more cities, ports, airports, and other things.—which is the recommended route for long-distance and freight traffic...

 (serving the main Mombasa-Nairobi

Nairobi

Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...

 road route) and the Uganda Railway

Uganda Railway

The Uganda Railway is a railway system and former railway company linking the interiors of Uganda and Kenya with the Indian Ocean at Mombasa in Kenya.-Origins:...

. The road is split into a two-level route (the south-bound carriageway is elevated on an embankment) and traffic is restricted

Speed limit

Road speed limits are used in most countries to regulate the speed of road vehicles. Speed limits may define maximum , minimum or no speed limit and are normally indicated using a traffic sign...

 to fifty miles per hour. The road serves few businesses except a large waste disposal site in the Kipevu district. In 2008, the area was the site of a considerable toxic waste leak.

Checkpoint

The south end of the causeway is the site of an armed police checkpoint. This is primarily for immigration

Immigration

Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...

 purposes, but also functions as a traffic policing

Traffic policing

Traffic policing is the process of monitoring network traffic for compliance with a traffic contract and taking steps to enforce that contract. Traffic sources which are aware of a traffic contract may apply traffic shaping to ensure their output stays within the contract and is thus not discarded...

location.