Key city roads set for expansion
The Kenya National Highways Authority (Kenha) has announced plans to expand the Karen-Bomas and Karen-Kikuyu roads in fresh efforts to improve the flow of traffic in Nairobi.
The agency said on Wednesday that the roads, notorious for lengthy gridlocks, will be converted into dual carriageways with additional lanes built on the sections linking Karen suburb to Ngong town.
The Karen-Lang’ata and Karen-Ngong road links are critical for the smooth flow of traffic around Nairobi’s southern district.
Gridlocks on these roads often spill to the central business district (CBD) leading to lengthy delays for motorists.
BY-PASS
As part of attempts to curb gridlocks in the CBD, the Roads ministry is also implementing the Sh17 billion Southern by-pass project which cuts through Lang’ata.
Kenha launched the search for contractors on Wednesday.
The road is designed as a dual carriage with four lanes. Vehicles will enter the by-pass from the Nairobi-Mombasa highway and run on the edge of Nairobi National Park, Lang’ata South Estate, Ngong Road, Dagoretti, Gitara and Thogoto in Kiambu County where it will then join the Nairobi-Nakuru highway.
The Roads ministry also plans to construct a 12.3km dual carriageway traversing the CBD to help deal with gridlocks.
The project by Kenha will involve the upgrade of the road from Likoni Road junction on Mombasa Road all the way to James Gichuru Road junction on Waiyaki Way.
DEADLINE
“The government… intends to apply part of the proceeds from the International Development Association towards eligible payments under the contract for the design of the section of A104 highway from Likoni Road junction to James Gichuru road junction…,” the authority said on Tuesday, setting February 24 as the deadline for submission of bids.
The project falls under the World Bank-funded National Urban Transport Improvement Project.
The World Bank approved about Sh25.2 billion to have the country upgrade city roads to reduce travel time and costs. Treasury was to inject an additional Sh10.1 billion ($113 million).
Major components of the project include expansion and upgrading of service and access roads from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport through Nairobi to Rironi on the Northern Corridor transport system.