Construction work for the Nairobi Expressway project is running ahead of schedule. The 27km route should now be complete in the second quarter of 2022, around six months ahead of the original plan.
The project is costing US$560 million to carry out and is for a tolled, elevated highway. The new route will link the central business district of Nairobi with Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, reducing journey times considerably for drivers. At present, traffic delays in Nairobi are a frequent cause of frustration for drivers and Kenya’s capital city is notorious for its chronic congestion at peak periods. Opening this tolled highway is expected to help tackle the city’s traffic woes, as well as going some way to reduce pollution from vehicles with engines idling as they wait in queues at junctions.
The route features 10 interchanges in all and has three lanes in either direction along its widest stretch, with two lanes in either direction elsewhere. China Road and Bridge is the main contractor for the project, carrying out the work for client Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA). The work is being carried out under the PPP model, the first in Kenya to use this method.
