KENHA to begin Mombasa Road rehabilitation works in two months’ time

Rehabilitation of sections of Mombasa Road damaged during the construction of the Nairobi Expressway is set to begin.

The Kenya National Highways Authority (Kenha) Director General, Eng Kungu Ndungu said the authority is waiting for contracts to be in place before rehabilitation works start.

“There is also a need to enhance the facility that was existing before the Expressway. Therefore, Kenha and as a government we are going to implement addition facilities including footbridges and also strengthening the old road and we expect this contracts in place in about eight weeks,” Ndungu said yesterday, adding that three extra bridges will be constructed along the road.

He was speaking at Moja Expressway’s event where the company celebrated 10 million users of the Nairobi Expressway since its commissioning in July 2022.

“We expect these contracts to be in place in about eight weeks so that we can have this road strengthened, properly marked, the drainages fixed and also the construction of an extra footpath so that pedestrians are not inconvenienced,” he said.

The completion of the Nairobi Expressway was expected to significantly reduce traffic on Mombasa Road, one of the country’s busiest roads, and to create a faster flow of traffic to and from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).

However, just days after the opening of the toll road, there have been numerous complaints about the damage done to the old road.

Pedestrian walkways were demolished, parts of the old road were narrowed, the roadside drainage was damaged, and some walkways had no gaping manholes.

The state announced in May last year that it would spend Sh9billion to renovate the Mombasa Road while also opening the Nairobi Expressway to public use.

Former Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia stated that the Sh9 billion would be used to add features to the old roads such as a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, cyclists and pedestrian lanes.

“We are finalising a contract of Sh9billion to make sure we beautify the old road. It makes sense to have the contractor who was doing the expressway rehabilitate the old road,” he had said.

The scope of work on Kenha’s shoulders on the old road includes repairing the drainage system, erecting a bus rapid transit system on the road, building an additional footpath, and repairing pedestrian walkways.

The design also includes the installation of a modern lighting system and the recarpeting of the old road.