State unveils Sh20b plan to widen Nyali-Kilifi road
The government is planning to commence the dualling of the 55-kilometre road from Nyali Bridge in Mombasa to Kilifi at a cost of Sh20 billion.
That will be in addition to the ongoing multi-billion shilling Mombasa Port Area Development projects which have started taking shape with upcoming inter-changes and by-passes.
Kenya National Highway Authority (KeNHA) Chairman Wangai Ndirangu said the dualling exercise commences next year and will be done in two phases with the first phase being 14km from Nyali bridge to Mtwapa excluding the bridge.
The second phase will run from Mtwapa to Kwa Kadzengo area in Kilifi.
“This is part of the government’s plan to expand road connectivity in this region and ease movement,” Ndirangu said while addressing the press in Mombasa.
David Muchilwa, KeNHA acting Director-General said the dualling project will include by-passes and inter-changes at various points including among other places Nyali, and Bamburi.
“We need a dual carriageway from the current Nyali bridge to continue all the way to Mtwapa to decongest this road because currently it is very narrow,” he said.
“But on the second phase from Mtwapa going forward, we will only have dual carriage for the first seven kilometres and then we go back to single carriageway,” Muchilwa added.
While noting the project is expected to commence in January and run for three years, the director said the single carriageway will be expanded to modern standards.
“That single carriageway will have to be widened because right now we don’t even have shoulders on that road and we have motorcycles, bicycles and even pedestrians all trying to compete for that very narrow carriage way,” said Muchilwa.
Bypass project
This is even as the ongoing rehabilitation of the slopes of a section of the Mombasa southern bypass project which was destroyed by a landslide is set for completion by the end of next month.
Ndirangu said the section of the road was damaged by a series of landslides triggered by accumulated water flowing from the airport grounds through underground tunnels.
According to the chairman, the affected section consists of continuous cut slopes with heights greater than 35 meters which extend past the airport patrol road to the Moi International Airport (MIA) fence.
“The landslide that occurred in the area was threatening the newly constructed road that is Miritini Kipevu New Container Depot, the Standard Gauge Railway and the Runway for Moi International Airport,” Ndirangu said.
Because of this threat to important national assets, he added, an interagency committee was formed to investigate the cause of the incident and to provide a lasting solution.
Addressing the press at the section of the affected site, Ndirangu said a number of interventions including piling works, drainage works and gabion works were initiated to restore and stabilise the slopes at a cost of Sh 300 million.
“The works encompassed stabilisation of the slopes through construction of piles and installations of both surface and underground drainage features to drain the accumulated underground water from the MIA Airport to the sea.
The works are aimed at protecting the road facility under Kenha and part of the Moi International Airport.” he said.
