Nairobi Expressway to Ease Problematic Traffic Congestion in the City
The CRBC will pocket about Shs.106.8 billion profit from the project for 27 years and later hand it over to the government. This project upon completion will significantly reduce the traffic nightmare along Mombasa Road and also be a step in achieving the country's vision 2030.
Babra Adhiambo
Many city dwellers have gotten used to getting stuck in Nairobi’s Traffic, however, this might change due to the ongoing construction of the 27km Nairobi Expressway which is expected to be complete by 2022.
The Shs.62 billion mega project undertaken by China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) on a Public Private Partnership basis will facilitate faster transit hence reducing travel time as motorists will take only 20 minutes to drive across the Mlolongo to James Gichuru, Waiyaki Way which currently takes them more than two hours.
This project, unlike all others, where the government had to secure loans, is different, in such a way that the CRBC will invest its own money and later recover its investments from toll fees paid by motorists using the road. The CRBC will pocket about Shs.106.8 billion profit from the project for 27 years and later hand it over to the government.
The planned Nairobi-Mombasa carriageway is divided into three main sections. There will be a four-lane dual carriageway from Mlolongo to Eastern Bypass and a six-lane dual carriageway from the Eastern Bypass to the Southern Bypass.
Another Four-lane dual road from the Southern Bypass to St Marks Church, Westlands, and a Four-lane dual carriageway from St.Marks church to James Gichuru Road.
The expressway will have interchanges at Mlolongo, Syokimau, JKIA, Southern Bypass, Eastern Bypass, Capital Centre, Haile Selassie, Museum Hill, The Mall Westlands, and St Marks to allow easy entry and exit at major points.
It will also have four pedestrian footbridges at St. Marks, Imara Daima, Mlolongo, and General Motors and a roundabout at the junction of Enterprise Road and Mombasa Road, and another at the junction of James Gichuru and Red Hill Link Road. The expressway will have Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) which will be incorporated later.
This project upon completion will significantly reduce the traffic nightmare along Mombasa Road and it will also be a step in achieving the country's vision 2030.
