China-built expressway to ease traffic woes in Nairobi

Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, has long been known for its traffic jams. However, this might not be the case for much longer.

Under a “build-operate-transfer” contract between China Road and Bridge Corp and the Kenya National Highways Authority, construction of a 27.1-kilometer expressway has begun. The route will run between the town of Mlolongo and the junction of two roads in Nairobi’s west end.

Ren Wenfeng, CRBC’s general manager for the expressway project, said the $600 million project is in line with the aim of Kenya’s Vision 2030 to create a globally competitive and prosperous country.

The Nairobi Expressway, the main artery for transportation of passengers and goods, will significantly alleviate traffic congestion in Nairobi, Ren said. This will make traffic between Nairobi’s central business district and Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and the city’s southern area more convenient and efficient, he added.

The Nairobi Expressway will ease traffic and is expected to reduce accidents along the busy A109 Road, which connects Nairobi and the port city of Mombasa.

“The project is expected to be completed in the first half of 2022. Once complete and operational, the Nairobi Expressway promises to offer beautiful scenery as you commute across the ‘green city in the sun’, further enabling the process of modernization,” Ren said.

“The project, with its strategic dual-carriage and exit routes, will considerably ease traffic flow and reduce travel time through Nairobi,” he added. Dual carriages are roadways with side-by-side paved surfaces separated by a barrier or divider.

The expressway, with 18.2 km of lane at ground level and 8.9 km that are elevated, will be a state-of-the -art, four-lane roadway designed for a maximum speed of 80 km/h.

Ren said that in order to reduce construction space and mitigate the impact on current traffic in central areas during the construction period, CRBC has adopted a construction process whereby it prefabricates some pieces of the infrastructure in a factory and transports them to the site for installation.

This technique is not only a first for Kenya, but has seen the construction pace pick up without interfering with normal traffic flow.

In addition to employing local young people, the project has provided them with on-site training and experience through exposure to the diverse construction techniques being used.

“We anticipate the creation of about 500 job opportunities for the local youth, most especially those graduating from polytechnic and tertiary universities,” Ren said.