Traffic ahead: Part of Waiyaki Way to be closed until April 2021

Motorists plying Waiyaki Way have been warned on traffic diversion and removal of the St Mark's Footbridge.

In a notice, the Kenya National Highways Authority said the normal flow of traffic on some sections of Mombasa Road, Uhuru Highway and Waiyaki Way will be interfered with due to the construction of the Nairobi Expressway.

Waiyaki Way will be closed from Goodman Tower to Sanlam Tower, a 500m stretch, between today and April 1, 2021.

The proposed traffic movement for all vehicles from City Centre to James Gichuru direction was urged to turn left into the Service Road before St Mark's Footbridge and rejoin Waiyaki Way after Mvuli Road.

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The public notice signed by Director General Engineer Peter Munindia to pedestrians advised them to use the designated pedestrian crossing in front of Park Inn Hotel.

Motorists were further requested to follow directions as shall be indicated on the road signage provided and by traffic marshalls on site. 

More than 70 police officers have been deployed to the Nairobi Expressway project along Mombasa Road in Nairobi to help the contractors and motorists operate with little disruption.

The officers include 20 new traffic personnel and 50 others from the Administration Police Service’s Critical Infrastructure Protection Unit (CIPU).

President Uhuru Kenyatta is scheduled to visit the site this weekend to inspect the progress so far.

A senior officer of the rank of Commissioner will manage the team for the next year or so when the project will be on course.

This followed concerns there would be traffic disruptions on the busy stretch as the construction of the Sh62 billion project continues.

Deputy Inspector General of APS Gabow Noor visited the sites where the construction team will be operating from as part of efforts to assure them of support from government.

He said the officers will enhance the operations of the contractor and motorists.

Inside expressway plan

It could take you just 20 minutes to drive across the city from Mlolongo to Rironi through Westlands if an ambitious, long overdue and grandiose Sh50 billion Nairobi overpass road project comes to fruition.

In a normal flow of traffic, it takes two to three hours to drive on the same stretch through Waiyaki Way, Uhuru Highway and Mombasa Road.

The project was originally set to commence in 2011 but was halted after the Word Bank declined to release funds, citing inclusion of Strabag International in the list of contractors.

The World Bank said it would only finance the project if the Austrian construction company, which had won the tender in 2007, would agree to expand its integrity compliance procedures.

Now, faced with an ever growing congestion problem on its roads, the government has tasked two Cabinet Secretaries to jointly ensure the 27 kilometre ‘Nairobi Expressway’ linking Mlolongo and Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to the Nairobi-Nakuru highway is completed strictly within two years.

In the plan, there will be ten interchanges at Mlolongo, SGR terminus, Eastern and Southern bypasses, Capital Centre, Haille Selasie, Museum Hill, the Mall Westlands and James Gichuru Road junction.