Nairobi begins to dig out roundabouts to ease traffic

KENYA: Nairobi County Government has started removing roundabouts along Mombasa Road and Waiyaki Way in a bid to ease traffic congestion.

Consequently, motorists plying these roads will have to use different routes to enter and leave the Central Business District to allow the removal of six roundabouts.

The first roundabouts to be affected are the ones at Westlands and Nyayo Stadium.

Motorists from the city and Rhapta Road at the Westlands round-about will no longer be allowed to turn to Westlands but will instead proceed to make a U-turn at Brookside Drive then make their way back to the Westlands centre.

"We are looking at all the arterial roads that feed the CBD. What we have started with is the A104 which constitutes Uhuru Highway, Waiyaki Way stretch and Mombasa Road because it serves both local and international traffic," said County Executive Member for Roads and Transport Mohammed Abdullahi.

He said they will soon start looking at other arteries such as Jogoo, Langata and Ngong Road.

 

For those coming from Westlands and hoping to make a U-turn near Consolata School (shrine), the exit at Chiromo towards Riverside Drive will be closed and motorists will be expected to proceed to The Mall and exit through Rhapta Road towards Kileleshwa and Yaya.

Motorists from Industrial Area using Lusaka Road heading towards CBD will not be allowed to make a right turn at the Nyayo Stadium roundabout and will instead have to drive in the opposite direction and eventually turn at the South C Bridge.

 

At the City Hall barricade, motorists will be expected to take the right turn at the Old Nation round-about (Khoja) over the barring traffic from Moi Avenue through River Road or those on Tom Mboya Street wishing to make a U-turn back to the City Centre.

This is meant to address traffic movement along the A104 (Waiyaki Way-Uhuru Highway-Mombasa Road) where 70 per cent of traffic builds up during rush hour.

According to the Government, this will improve traffic flow by 30-40 per cent.

The other roundabouts that will be removed are the ones  between University Way and Uhuru Highway, Kenyatta Avenue and Uhuru Highway, Haile Salassie Avenue and Uhuru Highway and Bunyula and Lusaka roads.