Kenya has inaugurated the much-awaited construction
of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport JKIA-Westlands Expressway.
The US $650m project had been slated to kick-off in
August but was pushed to October and construction is set to begin soon. The
18.586 km road project will start at JKIA and end at James Gichuru, along
Waiyaki way, in Westlands. China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) will undertake the mega-project on a
public-private partnership (PPP) basis.
The Government clarified that the PPP framework
agreement will see CRBC invest its own money and later recoup its investment
from toll fees paid by motorists using the road. This is a departure from the
past where the government secured loans to fund construction of major projects.
Motorists will have the option of using the
expressway to escape the heavy traffic jams at a fee or toll charges to help
the firm recover its investments. However, those using the lower section of the
double-decker highway will be spared the toll charges.
The planned highway will incorporate the bus rapid
transit (BRT) system which will involve construction of a dedicated lane for
large-capacity buses to ease congestion. It will be elevated near Ole Sereni
Hotel through the City Center along Uhuru Highway up to James Gichuru junction
and will be completed within two years. The proposed elevated dual carriageway
is to be built in three phases beginning with the first 6.5km running from JKIA
to Likoni Road and the Southern Bypass interchange.
The second stretch of 12km will connect Likoni Road to James Gichuru Road junction on Waiyaki Way in Westlands, while the last section will run from James Gichuru Road to Rironi, on the Nairobi-Nakuru highway. https://constructionreviewonline.com/2019/10/kenya-inaugurates-construction-of-us-650m-jkia-westlands-expressway/
