Ramp from Waiyaki Way to Forest Road to remain closed

The Kenya National Highways Authority has extended the closure of the ramp from Waiyaki Way to Forest Road to Monday 20/09/2021.

The statement said the extension will pave way for the ongoing construction of the Nairobi Expressway along Waiyaki Way.

A multi-agency team was last month set up to guide traffic control interventions on Mombasa Road sections under construction.

Kenha said the intervention will include ensuring the sites have adequate and well-signposted lanes, rapid intervention in case of accidents, and well-defined U-turn points.

The Nairobi Expressway begins at Mlolongo, connects Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to the CBD, and then terminates at James Gichuru in Westlands.

Motorists are urged to avoid driving on the construction site and follow the designated diversion to avoid raising dust. 

The Westlands-James Gichuru section will be opened on September 30, followed by the Haile Selassie-UoN Roundabout that is projected to be opened on October 15.

Since the construction of the 27.1-kilometre Nairobi Express Way began in October 2019, motorists have been experiencing choking gridlock on the route, as the number of lanes on both sides of traffic has been significantly reduced.

The Sh59 billion project is scheduled for completion in June 2022.

KeNHA on August 25 said the highway is 57 per cent complete, with the heavy works having been accomplished.

Pedestrians and cyclists were factored in during the planning and construction of the Nairobi Expressway project, Engineer Stanley Mwawasi said last month.

The engineer, who is in charge of the project, sought to dispel concerns by road users that pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists were not considered during the construction of the Sh60 billion project.

“We met various stakeholders from the boda boda community, to businessmen. We were aware that congestion was going to be an issue,” Mwawasi said during an interview on Spice FM.

He acknowledged that traffic and ways of managing it have become a nightmare in the affected roads since the onset of the construction.

“What has transpired is the challenge of managing this traffic. We made sure that at any given time, even during construction, we maintain at least two lanes, especially the section between JKIA and Mlolongo,” he explained.