Construction of the Nairobi Expressway project is set to be done by February 2022. Transport and Infrastructure Cabinet Secretary (CS) James Macharia made the announcement and said the initial completion date of the 27km road was September 2022, but the Government has pushed the contractor to deliver it early to ease traffic on the busy highway.
The Nairobi Expressway Project is a 27-kilometer road project beginning from Mlolongo through the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and Nairobi’s CBD to Westland’s area along Waiyaki Way. The project involves a four-lane and six-lane dual carriageway within the existing median of Mombasa Road/Uhuru Highway/Waiyaki Way and 10 interchanges.
The project broke grounds in October last year with China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) as the contractor. The latter is responsible for the design, financing, and construction of the road under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework. The company will also operate the road for about 27 years so as to recoup its investment through the collection of road tolls.
First PPP project in East Africa
The contractor has installed over 69 pillars and earthworks along the stretch. A section of the road from Mlolongo all the way to NextGen Mall, a distance of 18.2 kilometres and which is ongoing, will be a flatbed road, while the section from Nextgen Mall through the City-Centre to St Marks church, covering 8.2 kilometres, will be elevated.
The road project is the first major project in the East African country to be carried out through a PPP model. The project has opened massive opportunities for local businesses as well as individuals, according to Kenya National Highways Authority, a state corporation. More than 1,800 local youths have been employed by the contractor.
