Chinese firm, China Wu Yi awarded Sh7.5billion Nithi Bridge overhaul tender
The firm is expected to undertake the ambitious realignment of the bridge and surrounding road network at a cost that consumes nearly half of the 84-kilometre Kenol–Marua dual carriageway project.
A Chinese construction firm has been awarded a Sh7.5 billion contract to redesign and rebuild the notorious Nithi Bridge, a deadly blackspot along the Meru–Embu highway that has claimed dozens of lives over the years.
According to details published by the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), the contract was competitively awarded to China Wu Yi Company Limited, a major player in Kenya’s infrastructure sector.
The firm is expected to undertake the ambitious realignment of the bridge and surrounding road network at a cost that consumes nearly half of the 84-kilometre Kenol–Marua dual carriageway project.
Construction is scheduled to run for three years, with completion targeted for August 2029.
Works include redesigning a dangerous 2.7-kilometre stretch between Marima and Mitheru shopping centres, as well as constructing a new 880-metre bridge that will span the Nithi Valley.
The project goes beyond routine repairs, involving a complete overhaul of the steep descent and sharp bends that have made the section infamous.
Despite warning signs and rumble strips, the area has remained a death trap, with more than 100 lives lost in recent years.
President William Ruto had earlier identified the reconstruction of Nithi Bridge as a priority infrastructure project shortly after taking office.
In 2023, he assured residents that urgent action would be taken to end the carnage.
“This bridge will stop killing the people of Tharaka Nithi,” he said, adding that funding would not be a major obstacle.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has also reiterated the government’s commitment to the project, saying public participation had been conducted and funds secured.
“We now have the funds and the public has already been engaged… I will bring the contractor to start construction,” he said during a recent tour of Meru.
Once complete, the new bridge will feature an eight-metre dual carriageway, two-metre pedestrian shoulders, and a gentler gradient designed to significantly improve safety.
The structure will be supported by towering pillars rising up to 100 metres from the valley floor, making it one of the most complex road projects in the country.
Engineers say the new alignment will follow a different route from the existing road, minimizing traffic disruptions during construction while delivering a safer, modern transport corridor for motorists travelling through the region.
