Driving on the Nairobi-Thika Superhighway could undergo transformation

By JOE KIARIE

Nairobi, Kenya: Driving experience along the Nairobi-Thika Superhighway might soon undergo a major transformation after the Government awarded Sh1.1 billion road maintenance contract for the 49.8 kilometres stretch.

In what will be a first on Kenyan roads, the contractor will provide round-the-clock daily route patrol monitoring of the entire Superhighway and provide instant solutions to problems affecting smooth traffic flow.

The patrols will be conducted at a frequency of four hours during peak hours but reduce during off-peak hours.

Intex–Sinhydro Joint Venture, which was recently awarded the two-year rolling tender, will enhance safety and security by providing 24-hour assistance to road users and a feedback to the Highway management on general road conditions such as traffic congestion, accidents, unauthorised parking and land encroachment.

The latter provision is likely to affect roadside vendors who have encroached parts of the road, especially at Githurai.

The firm will also be required to have in place a comprehensive emergency vehicle capability. This will include well-equipped standby ambulances, breakdown and other emergency vehicles dedicated to responding to incidents on the Superhighway, complete with a set emergency response time-frame.

Smooth flow

Ambulances and paramedic support will be required to reach the accident scene within 30 minutes of incident detection. Tow-away trucks and cranes will also have to reach the scene within half an hour to clear obstructions such as mechanically impaired vehicles, unauthorised parked vehicles and debris among other forms of obstructions.

The contractor will have a maximum of one hour to ensure smooth flow of traffic following an accident.

All operations will be coordinated from a Highway Control Centre that will be manned round the clock. An incident management team also based in the centre will handle emergency response and evacuation.

“The team must be sufficiently experienced and trained to handle emergencies, in accordance with strategies within the system plan,” reads a Kenya National Highways Authority (Kenha) report on the contract.

Intex–Sinhydro Joint Venture will equally be responsible for all maintenances works on the main carriage way, pavements and cycling tracks.

This will entail filling of potholes, repairing cracks, joints and palls, clearing of litter and removal of dead animals and other obstructions.

Other functions will include repairing and replacing streetlight poles, damaged light bulbs and drainage slab covers as well as repairing fences, traffic signs and road markings.

 To avert flooding, the contractor will maintain surface and subsurface drains and keep them free of obstructions.

The contract, which will be funded by the Kenyan Government using proceeds from the Road Maintenance Levy Fund, will be performance-based.

The contractor will be paid based on the principle of monthly lump sum payments to be made for each service provided in compliance with the contract. 

“If the contractor does not meet the pre-determined service quality levels, the contractor will be penalised by subtracting some money from the monthly pay which is not recoverable at all. However, instructed works and emergency works will be paid on work done based on priced bill of quantities,” the report reads in part.