Road at GSU headquarters in Nairobi closed for three months

NAIROBI, KENYA: Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) has closed the overpass at General Service Unit (GSU) headquarters for three months to allow ongoing construction works to improve the junction between Thika Super Highway and Outer Ring Road.

“The public is notified that the contractor shall close the overpass at GSU headquarters as from Monday 22nd April 2019 till Thursday 18th July 2019,” Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) said in a notice.

Motorists are to use alternative routes during the construction period.

Thika bound traffic from Outer Ring Road will use right hand side service road of Thika Super Highway and turn right on the underpass at Survey of Kenya.

KURA notice of road closure (PHOTO: Courtesy)

Motorists going to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport from the city’s central business district through Outer Ring Road will proceed ahead using left side service road of Thika Super Highway up to the Garden City Overpass, turn right and drive back to access Outer Ring Road.

Traffic coming from Outer Ring Road will drive up to Garden City Overpass, turn right again to drive back to access Outer Ring Road.

The 13 kilometre Outer Ring Road was constructed at a cost of Sh14 billion and completed in June 2017. KURA has in the past noted that the current design for the junction may not have been well thought.

The junction at the GSU Head Quarters is not the only segment of the road that appears to have been subject of major oversight, with the contractor having to incorporate footbridges long after the road was commissioned.

The construction of the footbridges, which has come at an extra cost of close to Sh1 billion, is yet to be completed. The road also came with minimal bus stops, despite the huge number of residents in the areas served by the road using public transport.

The road does not have clearly marked pedestrian walkways or cycling lanes. There are also lanes that are missing when the complete project is compared with the initial design.