Construction of the Nairobi Expressway has fallen behind schedule with officials now expecting the project to be operational in June 2022, and not February as initially planned.
The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) announced the 27-km highway is 57% complete with the heavy works having been accomplished.
“Between now and December 2021, we are likely to see all the heavy works involving deep excavation, diversions completed. For the period between January 2022 and June 2022, we will proceed to install the infrastructure that will allow us to operate the road furniture, marking, and the tolling booths,” said KeNHA chairman Wangai Ndirangu.
Nairobi Expressway Project
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.
