The construction of Nairobi’s first double-decker road is set to start in September, according to transport CS James Macharia.
The Sh59 billion road will be built by China Road and Bridge Corporation, and is expected to take 2 years. The road starts at JKIA and ends at Rironi, linking Nairobi’s main airport to the Nairobi-Nakuru highway.
“Road construction will commence in September 2019, and will take two years to complete,” said Mr Macharia.
The road will be tolled, meaning motorists seeking to avoid traffic jams will have to pay for its usage. However, the lower section will continue to be free. The final designs have not been made public, but it is believed that not all sections of the highway will be elevated.
There will also be a dedicated lane for large capacity buses (BRT).
The road was first approved by parliament in 2008, but construction has continued to be delayed. World Bank was initially supposed to be the project financier, but withdrew questioning its suitability.
President Uhuru Kenyatta finally secured financing from the Chinese in his visit to Beijing last month.
