Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday commissioned the Ksh 50 billion Nairobi Expressway, a first of its kind in Kenya. The project is aimed at reducing traffic congestion within the city of Nairobi.
The 18.586-kilometer road project will start at JKIA and terminate at James Gichuru, along Waiyaki Road, in Westlands.
The expressway will be the first of its kind in Africa with unique design features that combine underpasses, overpasses, exits as well as a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) component covering the entire stretch.
An artistic impression of JKIA-Westlands expressway.
The project, which will be financed through a Public-Private Partnership. President Kenyatta said the two-year road project will create jobs for the people in both Machakos and Nairobi counties.
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The project will be implemented by the Kenya National Highway Authority (KENHA), and will be built under the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) partnership model with China Roads and Bridge Corporation as both the concessionaire and investor.
“The Nairobi expressway coupled with the recently completed Nairobi Southern bypass is expected to greatly decongest the city’s central business district, reduce journeys for motorists and lessen vehicle operating costs for both local and transit vehicles,” said KENHA.
