MP Wamacukuru ask contractors to speed-up road construction
Kabete Member of Parliament Githua Wamacukuru has called for the fast-tracking of the construction of the Western bypass ahead of normal businesses resumption in shopping centers.
He said despite the locals being happy with the rehabilitation of the bypass into a dual carriage, most businesses have been negatively affected thereby denying owners opportunities to earn a living.
State Department of Infrastructure Principal Secretary Paul Maringa said the highway had been slightly redesigned to include a tunnel at Wangige town.
He said that the 2km tunnel will ensure that traffic on the highway will not interfere or impede economic activities, growth, and development of the town.
Addressing the media after inspecting ongoing road projects in Kabete, the PS said that the road was redesigned to include a tunnel after area leaders and the business community raised the alarm over the possible 'death' of the town.
"Kiambu governor James Nyoro and Kabete MP Githua Wamacukuru raised the matter with my office and we had to redesign the road to suit the locals," he said adding that the new design will include a public park above the tunnel.
He said the government is committed to ensuring road infrastructure is perfected in order to attract investors.
He further said the upgrading of roads would not only ease traffic congestion but also spur economic growth.
Kiambu governor James Nyoro while thanking the government for allowing the redesigning of the highway said easy access to towns opens up the same for businesses.
"We are happy that Wangige will not face the fate of such towns as Gilgil and Limuru which were negatively impacted by the construction of highways away from them and which formerly passed within thereby isolating them," he added.
Wamacukuru hailed the government for hearing the cries of locals saying that the improvement of the road will ensure that the town will not be dormant.
"Wangige market which is the largest egg market in the region would have become dormant due to inaccessibility but now we expect it to flourish," he said.
The MP said that a bus park and modern kiosk would be put up at Wangige at a cost of 240 million Kenya shillings.
"The PS has also stated that money for the construction of a modern and standard bus park has already been allocated and the contractor will have completed the exercise in two months," he said.
The Western bypass highway is one of the four highways being built to direct motorized traffic away from the Nairobi central business district.
The 16.6 Km highway starts from Gitaru in the Southwest end and ends at Ruaka in the Northeast end and is expected to be completed by 2020.
Apart from Wangige, the bypass will pass through Ndenderu and Kihara towns and will basically connect Kikuyu town to Ruaka.
Others include the Southern, Eastern, and Northern ring roads all aimed at redirecting traffic away from the city thereby decongesting it and hopefully alleviate the perennial traffic jams in Nairobi.
The Western bypass highway is being constructed by the China Roads and Bridges Corporations (CRBC).
