Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) Director General, Eng. Peter Mundinia, sheds light on the Nairobi Expressway
Q. What is the scope of the planned Nairobi expressway?
The geographic span of the Nairobi Expressway is Machakos and Nairobi Counties. It starts at Mlolongo and terminates at James Gichuru Road, having a centre alignment. The centre alignment means that only the median section of the existing road will be used. Therefore, the existing A8 section of the Mombasa highway will remain for motorists to use. The Nairobi Expressway measures a total length of 26.7Km.
“ This project will enhance the economic vitality of Nairobi and consolidate Kenya’s leading position as an investment destination in East Africa.”
Q. Why is it deemed a key investment project?
The Nairobi Expressway will bring much needed relief to traffic congestion in Nairobi. It currently takes motorists about two hours to commute through Nairobi at rush hours. Kenya losses approximately Ksh.18 billion annually as a result of traffic jams. The Nairobi expressway will significantly reduce time spent on the road from two hours at rush hour to 10 -15 minutes. The Nairobi Expressway will also be a source of employment both during and after construction. During construction of the road 3,000 jobs will be created and after construction, 500 jobs will be available. This project will support the realization of the Government’s “Big 4 Agenda” & “Vision 2030”, enhance the economic vitality of Nairobi and consolidate Kenya’s leading position as an investment destination in East Africa.
Q. What are the key structural designs for the project?
The first 15.5 km will be constructed at ground level, and the last 11.2 km will be constructed as an elevated road. Elevation will be done to utilize the space that is available the median section of the existing road.
To accommodate traffic being fed into different points along the highway, there will be different lane provisions at different sections of the Expressway. From Mlolongo to the Eastern Bypass the Nairobi Expressway will have four lanes. The section between Eastern Bypass and Southern Bypass will be a six-lane dual carriageway due to the significantly high volume of traffic brought in from the Eastern Bypass. From the Southern Bypass to James Gichuru there will be a four-lane dual carriageway.
The road will have 10 interchanges at: Mlolongo, SGR terminus, JKIA, Eastern Bypass, Southern Bypass, Capital Centre, Haile Selassie Avenue, Thika Road (Museum), The Mall Westlands and at James Gichuru Road. These will facilitate a smooth entry and exit from the Expressway. Q. When is the project expected to be complete? The construction period will be three years, starting from the end of 2019 to the end of 2022.