The rehabilitation of sections of Mombasa Road damaged during the construction of the Nairobi Expressway is set to begin in eight weeks.
This is according to Kenya National Highways Authority (Kenha) Director-General, Mr Kungu Ndung'u, who said the agency is awaiting finalization of the contracts before rehabilitation starts.
He was speaking on Tuesday at an event where Moja Expressway Company, which operates the road, marked its 10 million car milestone since opening to the public in May 2022.
“There is need to enhance the facility that was existing before the Expressway. Therefore, Kenha as government is going to implement additional facilities including footbridges while also strengthening the old road. We expect contracts to be in place in about eight weeks,” he said.
In May last year, former Transport Secretary James Macharia said that the section from Mlolongo to Westlands will be rehabilitated to ensure that motorists who opt for the lower deck road are not negatively affected. He said the government had contracted China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) to rehabilitate the highway, which was extensively damaged during construction of the upper deck at a tune of Sh9 billion.
“We are finalising a contract of Sh9 billion to make sure we beautify the old road. It makes sense to have the contractor who was doing the expressway rehabilitate the old road,” Mr Macharia told journalists at the time.
Construction of the 27.4-kilometre highway chipped away some lanes of the lower roads, leaving narrower paths that have been characterised by high-traffic gridlock.
The scope of refurbishing the old road involves fixing the drainage system, erecting a bus rapid transport system on the road and fixing pedestrian walkways. The design also provides for erecting a modern lighting system and re-carpeting of the old road.
“During construction, the old road was damaged as the contractor had to do piling. But the contractor, upon completion, will restore the old road and leave it better than they found it. Everything is done under one budget,” Mr Macharia said at the time.
Moja Expressway will operate the toll road for 27 years before handing it over to the Kenya National Highway Authority (Kenha).
Motorists pay between Sh120 and Sh1,800 to use the 27.1km road depending on the size of their vehicles and the distance they will cover.
