Westlands: Nairobi Expressway construction on aerial view showing the old Waiyaki Road and the suspended new road [David Gichuru, Standard]

Motorists entering or leaving Nairobi towards Western side have to persevere up to end of this month when more sections of Nairobi Expressway will be opened to ease traffic jams.

The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) announced in a notice that it will open the closed sections of the Nairobi Expressway from Westlands to James Gichuru Road on October 30, 2021.

At the same time, Haile Selassie to University of Nairobi (UoN) roundabout section will be opened on December 15 as the elevated section is 87.8 per cent complete.

The road’s authority, which said the completion of the expressway is 67.3 per cent complete, also said it is constructing an operation and monitoring centre, whose completion stands at 98 per cent and is set to be complete ahead of the road works.

"The centre will help to manage and maintain the road once it becomes operational. Plans are under way to run a pilot project on the electric toll collection system. This will enable implementation team to test the efficiency and security of the system,’’ said Kung’u Ndung’u, director-general of KeNHA.

Ndung’u also said various interventions have been made, including opening previously closed sections between Mlolongo and JKIA, and that more sections will be opened in the following week towards end of October.

He also said the new footbridge at General Motors has been opened to the public.

The authority, however, said traffic congestion will be there in some areas still under construction.