Superhighways would be a catalyst for entrepreneurs to invest in surrounding areas

Heavy traffic jam witnessed along juja Thika road as passengers made their way up country to celebrate Christmas festivals. PHOTO BY WILLIS AWANDU

The snarling traffic jam on Thika superhighway only five years after its completion should be celebrated by urban economists. The road was a free experiment whose results we can now report. The hypothesis could have been something like; does construction of a new facility such as a highway or airport spur economic growth?

Most Kenyans on the route are bitter with the jam; they have to wake up at 4am to be in office on time. But they have a good reason to be annoyed. Where else in the world are speed bumps erected on a superhighway? Where else in the world does a superhighway end on a roundabout that is a bus stage?