NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 7 – Motorists using Mombasa Road have been urged to terminate their journeys to the Nairobi Central Business District at the Syokimau Railway Terminus as part of efforts to ease congestion occasioned by diversions to facilitate ongoing construction of the Nairobi Expressway.
Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) Chairperson Wangai Ndirangu said the agency had partnered with the Kenya Railways Corporation to introduce additional wagons to offload the travelers from the road and that vehicles parked at the terminus will be secure as the owners transit to the train to the Central Business District.
“Immediately from Syokimau you get into the train and come to town and there are stopovers in between. This will ease the traffic and ensure smooth delivery of service. We know that the number of vehicles will not reduce because there is expressway but I Kenyans to know that the train service is available,” he said.
Ndirangu made the announcement even as he noted that the overall progress of the Nairobi Expressway stood at about 60 per cent. He said the Authority was doing its best to open some sections of the road.
“The Authority is committed to ensure timely completion of the Nairobi Expressway and delivery of best quality services to customers and stakeholders at all times,” he said.
KeNHA had earlier pointed out that there will be traffic congestion at Gateway Mall area, Mlolongo and the entire route that is under construction.
The authority said the section between Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and Mlolongo will be partially restored on September 10 with full reopening set for September 30.
Westlands-James Gichuru section will open on September 30 and Haile Selassie-UON roundabout on September 30.
KeNHA said the elevated section was 73 per cent complete.
The construction of the expressway from JKIA to Westlands occasioned traffic congestion along Mombasa Road, Uhuru Highway and Waiyaki Way since the beginning of the year due to numerous diversions with the contractor warning of disruptions until the end of the year.
It will be a four-lane and six-lane dual carriageway within the existing median of Mombasa Road/Uhuru Highway/Waiyaki Way. The expressway will have 10 interchanges.
