Expressway set to open for motorists in April next year

Nairobi Expressway construction taking shape along Waiyaki Way from Nairobi CBD on October 13, 2021. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

The 27km Nairobi Expressway will be opened to the public in April next year.

Before the official opening, the road will be opened in March for a test run.

Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia yesterday said the Sh63 billion Nairobi Expressway was 75per cent complete, and only required another four months to be finalised. 

He noted that construction of the main section of the road and its supporting infrastructure such as toll stations was complete. 

"From there It will take 20 minutes from one end of the highway to the other and save us time and agony of traffic snarl ups that are often witnessed on the stretch of the roads being constructed," said Mr Macharia.

"All all the piling has been done 100 per cent, and now they are putting the beams which have already been made. The contractor has assured us that the project will be complete by March," he added.

The Cabinet secretary said they had begun weekly monitoring to ensure that the project is running on schedule to ensure motorists using Mombasa Road, Uhuru Highway and Waiyaki Way move with ease.

"We know the motorists on these roads have really suffered. We want to hasten the process but ensuring good quality job is done. We will be monitoring every week the progress," said Macharia. 

The Cabinet secretary noted that once the Expressway is complete the contractor will begin to restore the old way.

"And not just opening the old way but also restoring and enhancing the old road because you have seen in some cases it's been damaged because of the heavy equipment which they are having. It will be restored and widened to make sure that we go back to normal. We are going to install lights," said Macharia.

The Cabinet secretary said once complete, the Expressway will not be concrete jungle but a beautiful piece of work with trees and flowers along the road.

"As you have seen, we have already begun planting grass and flowers, we will also plant trees and make the Expressway a piece to behold," said Macharia.

Construction of the Nairobi Expressway, which started in 2020, has come at a cost for businesses and residents along Mombasa Road, with motorists enduring traffic snarl-ups.

On completion, the road will stretch 27km (17 miles) across Nairobi, and it is meant to ease traffic flow in and out of the central business district.

China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) is building the road, whose construction is funded by a private company. Moja Expressway, a subsidiary of CRBC, will operate the road for 27 years to recoup funds through toll fees.

Motorists are expected to pay between Sh100 and Sh1,550 in toll charges, depending on the size of the car and the distance covered.