Closed road near Athi River to be opened Friday

Chinese contractors fill up a gap that developed between one frontal edge of the Stoni Athi bridge in Athi River, Machakos County. They worked throughout Thursday night. [Photo by Wambua Sammy/Standard]

Chinese contractors building the Athi River- Machakos turn off dual carriage way section of Nairobi- Mombasa filled in a gap that developed between one frontal edge of Stoni Athi bridge.

The swollen river rose over the bridge washing away the soil gambion that connected it with the road.

Athi River PCS Peter Kimweli told Standard Digital that the road would be passable by Friday morning once the chasm was filled up with boulders and instant-binding concrete.

Hundreds of motorists were stranded on either side of the bridge after police closed the road. 

Contrary to earlier reports, the bridge was intact but for the erosional gap between it and the road.

At the nearby Greenpark estate, home owners were still counting losses after the river washed away a perimeter wall, flooding some houses.