When the multi-billion shilling Thika Superhighway was completed two years ago, few motorists and residents would have imagine that they would be forced to endure massive traffic jams so soon.
But in recent months, the congestion in parts of this highway has left motorists frustrated and leaders from the town are now asking for intervention from infrastructure authorities.
They complain that Thika town has only two exits into the Superhighway; the Mang’u flyover, mostly used by motorists from Nairobi and Gatundu, and the Blue Post flyover used by those coming from Murang’a, Nyeri, Meru and Northern Kenya.
They say the few exit points have led to congestion in the flourishing industrial town. Kennedy Muriuki, a road construction expert, faults the superhighway’s designers for failing to factor in additional exits in anticipation of the influx of vehicles and residents.
Muriuki says because of poor planning, very little land was left for expansion and adds that road reserves, mostly at Section 9 that was earmarked as an exit, had allegedly been allocated to private developers who have put up high rise buildings.
“Because the planners overlooked the exit issue, the town is now in a crisis,” said Muriuki.
Besides the vehicular traffic, the town is also becoming quite overcrowded because the infrastructure does not match the growing population.
The chairman of Mount Kenya Matatu Owners Association, Michael Kariuki, says public service vehicles are often held up in jam for several hours resulting in high fuel consumption and lost man hours.
Kariuki says vehicles in the town have increased exponentially while roads in the town have hardly expanded.
Joseph Masinde, a trader, says he is forced to spend hours in the traffic, making it costly for business operators.
A resident, Winnie Wangui, agrees and says even though she lives in Makongeni Estate, eight kilometres from Thika town, she leaves the house an hour earlier in order to make it to the office on time.
Even though new businesses and residents are welcome for the town’s prosperity, life has become a little more hectic for residents used to a more sedate lifestyle.
Kimani Kange’the, who is the chairman of Chamber of Commerce, Thika branch, says infrastructural expansion is required.
“Many people working in Nairobi now live in Thika. The population increase triggered by new roads have been the major undoing for the town,” said Kange’the. He says if the situation is not addressed soon, investors might flee from what from what has been earmarked as an industrial town.
Early this year, an attempt was made by the county government to limit the traffic into the town by closing parts of the Kenyatta Highway between Garrissa Road and the Pineapple Roundabout.
Vehicles leaving the town were also directed to use Haile Selassie Road and Blue Post exit into the highway.
Business community
All the vehicles coming from Murang’a, Nyeri, and Meru were also barred from accessing the town using the Blue Post flyover. They were instead required to use Garrissa and Kenyatta Highway to enter the town.
For the first time since the Queen of England visited Kenya in 1983, the barrier on the colonial-era bridge over Chania River near Blue Post Hotel was brought down.
The plan did not work and was soon abandoned.
Traders are now worried that they will lose business as customers desert their premises.
David Gatimu, who is the Chief Officer of Lands and Physical Planning at Kiambu County government, acknowledged Thika town was facing a traffic crisis.
Gatimu said the development of strategic integrated urban development plan for Thika town and its environs is in progress with full public participation.
“Once the plan is complete, we shall know where more exits for the town will be so that we can open up the area and ease congestion,” said Gatimu.
He had a warning to those who had been irregularly allocated land on road reserves.
“Those who might have grabbed land will have to pave way when the time for the road construction comes,” said Gatimu.
Thika town MP Alice Ng’ang’a said the town requires more exits to help ease the movement of vehicles.
She said a 16-kilometre road from Kiganjo Estate passing through Athena to the superhighway will be constructed within a year.
Once its complete, vehicles coming from North Eastern and Eastern Kenya will not have to pass through Thika town, which she said would greatly ease the traffic congestion.
The lawmaker also said a bypass from the Garrissa road pass through Munyu, Juja farm to the Superhighway will also be constructed. However, before these roads are built, the MP said feeder roads must be repaired.
“Castle Road must be improved as a matter of urgency. Also both Gatitu roads and Murang’a Farmers to Blue Post section of Haile Selassie road should be expanded to four lanes to ease movement of vehicles. A flyover is needed at Gatitu so vehicles coming from Thika town can link Castle Road to the superhighway without a traffic build up,” said Ng’ang’a.
