THE newly upgraded Mbaraki-Nyerere Road is improving cargo transit times and reducing flooding risk at Kenya's Port of Mombasa.
A new access road is having a big impact on cargo transit times, reports Rotterdam's WorldCargo News.
The Mbaraki-Nyerere Road has been widened and upgraded to a bitumen surface, while the provision of sidewalks means that pedestrians no longer need to walk on the road, allowing trucks to reach and leave the port more quickly.
Drainage in the surrounding area has been improved to reduce the likelihood of flooding impeding access to the port.
Financing from the UK and Danish governments was provided via TradeMark Africa (TMA), an aid-for-trade organisation that has also been involved in improvements at the port.
Mohammed Ali, CEO of freight forwarders Boss Freight, commented: 'The construction of the road has been a game changer for us. We can now transport more cargo more efficiently and have happier clients. We would welcome the construction of more high-quality roads that can handle more HGVs.'
TMA says that the logistics projects it has supported have cut cargo transit times on the Northern Corridor from Mombasa to Bujumbura in Burundi by 16.5 per cent, while it now takes 70 per cent less time to pass through the new one-stop border posts along the route.
Road transport in the region should also benefit from a planned new US$3.6 billion highway between Mombasa and Nairobi.
The 437km Usahihi Expressway toll road would have two or three lanes in each direction and could reduce transport times between Kenya's capital city and main port to just six hours.
Currently, the journey takes over 25 hours on average, but most of that is due to waiting time at two weight stations and up to 10 police checkpoints.
Construction firm Bechtel has pulled out of the project, but US infrastructure investment manager Everstrong Capital signed a financing agreement with the Kenya National Highways Authority in May.
SeaNews Turkey
A new access road is having a big impact on cargo transit times, reports Rotterdam's WorldCargo News.
The Mbaraki-Nyerere Road has been widened and upgraded to a bitumen surface, while the provision of sidewalks means that pedestrians no longer need to walk on the road, allowing trucks to reach and leave the port more quickly.
Drainage in the surrounding area has been improved to reduce the likelihood of flooding impeding access to the port.
Financing from the UK and Danish governments was provided via TradeMark Africa (TMA), an aid-for-trade organisation that has also been involved in improvements at the port.
Mohammed Ali, CEO of freight forwarders Boss Freight, commented: 'The construction of the road has been a game changer for us. We can now transport more cargo more efficiently and have happier clients. We would welcome the construction of more high-quality roads that can handle more HGVs.'
TMA says that the logistics projects it has supported have cut cargo transit times on the Northern Corridor from Mombasa to Bujumbura in Burundi by 16.5 per cent, while it now takes 70 per cent less time to pass through the new one-stop border posts along the route.
Road transport in the region should also benefit from a planned new US$3.6 billion highway between Mombasa and Nairobi.
The 437km Usahihi Expressway toll road would have two or three lanes in each direction and could reduce transport times between Kenya's capital city and main port to just six hours.
Currently, the journey takes over 25 hours on average, but most of that is due to waiting time at two weight stations and up to 10 police checkpoints.
Construction firm Bechtel has pulled out of the project, but US infrastructure investment manager Everstrong Capital signed a financing agreement with the Kenya National Highways Authority in May.
SeaNews Turkey
