Motorists will now have quick access to Nairobi’s Central Enterprise District (CBD) following the opening of the brand new five-lane Nairobi Expressway exit plaza at Greenpark.
Roads and Transport Cupboard Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen described the development, which started in late July 2023, as a shining monument to what public-private partnerships can obtain.
“We’re happy to announce that the trial operation of the newly accomplished Nairobi Expressway Haile Selassie Exit Plaza has commenced on January 20, 2024,” he stated.
He stated plans had been underway so as to add two extra lanes to the Museum Hill exit from the present three,” he stated.
He revealed that plans had been underway so as to add two extra lanes on the Museum Hill exit, which presently has solely three lanes.
“Negotiations with the College of Nairobi for land acquisition are ongoing,” he stated.
He added that along with the various socio-economic advantages it has dropped at the nation, the Nairobi Expressway can also be facilitating expertise switch to Kenya.
“It’s clever site visitors monitoring system, which gives a 360-degree view of all the highway, has improved security and emergency response. It will likely be a superb benchmark for the Clever Site visitors System (ITS) that we’ve piloted and at the moment are able to roll out,” stated the CS.
“Because of the success of the expressway, we at the moment are receiving growing demand for comparable initiatives. We’re due to this fact contemplating dualling the Rironi-Mau Summit highway and probably to Eldoret below the PPP. The Nairobi-Mombasa and Athi-River-Namanga highways and the Kiambu highway are additionally potential candidates for tolling.
The Haile Selassie Exit Plaza has 5 lanes and is anticipated to ease site visitors congestion on the Haile Selassie Roundabout.
The brand new Expressway Exit Plaza gives easy entry to Nairobi CBD, Higher Hill and Ngong Highway.
The CS had in December 2023 assured that the brand new Expressway exit could be prepared by mid-January.
Mr Murkomen stated the five-lane undertaking will cut back congestion and enhance site visitors circulate within the metropolis.
Murkomen praised the undertaking, saying it has lowered the journey time from Jomo Kenyatta Worldwide Airport to Nairobi from two hours to twenty minutes without charge to the taxpayer.
“The expressway employed 6,000 Kenyans throughout its building and now 500 persons are completely employed,” he stated.
Murkomen stated 200,000 subscribers had signed as much as the e-ticketing system prior to now 19 months.
He stated the highway has carried 26 million autos, which is proof that there’s demand for it.
“Apart from the various socio-economic advantages it has dropped at our nation, the Nairobi Expressway has facilitated the switch of expertise to Kenya,” Murkomen stated.
“Its good site visitors monitoring system, with a 360-degree view of all the highway, has improved security and emergency response. It will likely be a superb benchmark for the Clever Site visitors System that we’ve piloted and are able to roll out,” he stated.
Murkomen stated the success of the undertaking had elevated demand for comparable initiatives.
“We’re due to this fact contemplating the dualling of the Rironi-Mau Summit highway, which is able to start subsequent 12 months,” he stated.
An extended-term plan to develop roads throughout the nation is presently underway.
The Chinese language-built Nairobi Expressway stretches from the western facet of the town to the south-eastern fringe of the metropolis and reportedly carries a median of fifty,000 autos a day.
The Sh87 billion, 27.1-kilometre highway was financed and constructed by the China Highway and Bridge Company below a public-private partnership mannequin.
The Nairobi Expressway has 10 interchanges and consists of the SGR terminus at JKIA, Jap Bypass, Southern Bypass and Enterprise Highway.
