The Sh538 million concrete Mwachande bridge project in Kwale County is slowly taking shape and is at 63 percent completion.
The new concrete bridge seeks to improve connectivity in rural and geographically challenged parts of the coastal county and enable residents in the remote areas access essential services and markets.
The signature Mwachande bridge project is being built across River Ramisi by Iota Engineering Construction Company Ltd and seeks to connect Msambweni, Kinango and Lunga Lunga sub-counties through the Milalani–Kikoneni-Mwangulu road.
Locals in the three sub counties have long been demanding the construction of a concrete road bridge over Ramisi River to facilitate connectivity.
Residents currently use a rickety old wooden bridge to cross over the Ramisi River, which becomes a treacherous journey during the rainy seasons.
A Resident Engineer with the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) Abednego Matui says the facility is built of strengthened reinforced concrete T-bridge, with Polyurethane-cement Composite (PUC).
Eng. Matui says the main structure of this 60-meter-long and 20 meters wide bridge has been completed with the closure of its main beam and awaits the installation of prestressed concrete girders and T-beams.
He said the main construction process of the overhead bridge includes concrete surface treatment, installing templates and pouring cement.
Matui said the design paid special attention to landscape integration, durability and planning requirements.
“With dredging sediments and debris are removed from the waterways and then pilings of long sturdy poles of concrete are driven into the riverbed for support,” he said.
He said the construction involved detailed planning, site preparation with methods like piling and dredging, and then building the foundation, piers, and the deck using techniques such as cofferdams, caissons and pile driving.
Polyurethane-cement composite (PUC) is mixed with polyurethane raw material and cement and the technique is completed by pouring polyurethane-cement composite into the template.
Eng. Matui was speaking when he received the National Government Development-County Implementation, Coordination and Management Committee (NGD-CICMC).
He said the bridge located on the River Ramisi along the Mililani-Kikoneni-Mwaungulu road is designed to improve local livelihoods by supporting economic activities like fishing, agriculture, and tourism.
“The project’s construction and development are part of KeRRA’s responsibility,” said the civil engineer, noting that residents on either side of the river had to take a 16 km detour to reach their sub county headquarters.
Site manager Cosmas Wawire said currently piling works are underway with the scheduled completion date slated for the month of April 20206.
Wawire said the bridge construction involved several key activities, beginning with site preparation, followed by the construction of foundations and the substructure (piers and abutments), and then the superstructure (girders and deck).
He said girders, the large structural beams that form the bridge’s main framework, are then lifted into place using cranes and then secured.
The NGD-CICMC team led by Kwale County Commissioner (CC) Stephen Orinde was on an inspection tour of several strategic infrastructure projects in the coastal county.
Orinde accompanied by Esther Mazera in charge of Government delivery Unit (GDU) in Kwale and Deputy Director Cindy Kuria from the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary was speaking when he led NGD- CICMC Kwale team in an inspection tour of the development projects.
He said the inspections are intended to assess project progress, address challenges and ensure the timely completion of the Meg projects stressing that no project should take longer than the stipulated time.
Orinde says the Mwachande Bridge is one of the most critical infrastructure developments in the coastal region and links thousands of people to markets and amenities like hospitals, schools and markets.
The county commissioner said once the bridge project is complete, it will boost economic activities by expanding access into Msambweni and Lung Lunga sub counties.
He stated that the bridge project would assist create jobs, expand commercial prospects and promote local economies.
“It will also improve road safety across the three sub counties,” added Orinde.
Residents and motorcyclists interviewed by KNA described the situation of crossing the rickety wooden bridge as a ‘scary adventure’ for the people in the area.
They welcomed the modern concrete overbridge under construction as a ‘very significant development’ that will allow for free movement of people of vehicular traffic.
By Hussein Abdullahi
