Nairobi Expressway to be ready by April, says Macharia
The government will conduct a test run on the Nairobi Expressway in March next year before it is commissioned by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Speaking during an inspection tour yesterday, Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia revealed the game-changing project is 64 per cent complete saying the project will be completed in six months.
“We are working day and night to ensure we complete the project in time. Test runs on the road will take place in March next year as we are confident the contractors will have completed all the works by February,” he said.
The CS noted that the government has cut the time frame for the Sh65 billion project by two years.
Macharia also confirmed the project is progressing well and expressed confidence it will be ready for use early next year.
“We have talked with the contractor and they have assured us that laying of the tracks will be complete by December.
Then we will immediately commence the final touches before doing a thorough test run.
We have done most of the technical work and I am very confident that by April, Kenyans will have a chance to enjoy this road,” he said.
State House Chief of Staff Nzioka Waita noted that the project was purely a Public-Private Partnership with no debt incurred by the government.
Power of collaboration
“This project fits in the Nairobi Master Plan and no single fund has been borrowed by the government.
It is purely PPP. As a country, we have demonstrated to investors that we can collaborate with them and have projects such as this Expressway. As we speak, we have a lot of investors, “he added.
Nzioka emphasised that the Nairobi Expressway will be a game-changer to Nairobi which is an international hub.
“I can say without fear of contradiction that President Uhuru Kenyatta’s commitment to bridging the infrastructure gap would be honored by the time his term comes to an end,” he added.
The Nairobi Expressway Project is a 27.1km road project beginning from Mlolongo through the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and Nairobi’s CBD to Westland’s area on Waiyaki Way.
The Nairobi Expressway will have a four-lane and six-lane dual carriage way within the existing median of Mombasa Road, Uhuru Highway and Waiyaki Way as well as 10 interchanges.
