The Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) has set a December deadline for the ongoing recarpeting and tarmacking of roads in the city centre and surrounding areas.
To speed up the repairs, the NMS is banking on a new asphalt (bitumen) plant that is almost complete.
NMS Transport, Roads and Public Works director Michael Ochieng’ said once complete, the plant on Kangundo Road would produce 2,400 tonnes of bitumen daily.
He noted that the amount is enough to recarpet about three kilometres of road.
Currently, the NMS has been relying on asphalt from a plant on Nanyuki Road in Industrial Area which produces 150 to 300 tonnes of asphalt a day. This, he said, has been slowing down the pace of the road improvement project.
Mr Ochieng said completion of the Kangundo Road plant would boost the project and beat the December deadline.
Kenya Urban Roads Authority (Kura) plans to upgrade 408 kilometres of roads in the capital’s informal settlements before the end of this month.
The Sh5.8 billion project, which the NMS is part of, will be boosted by the new asphalt plant.
