Why expansion of Outer Ring road has not started
The expansion of Outer Ring road in Nairobi is behind schedule by about five months as the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (Kura) oversees a change in the design of the road, the Transport ministry has said.
Acting Transport and Infrastructure Cabinet Secretary James Macharia said the change would include the creation of space for Bus Rapid Transit and an additional interchange at the junction of Taj Mall and Airport South Road.
Mr Macharia said the contractor had submitted a revised programme of works and that had been provisionally approved by the consultant.
Mr Macharia told the Transport Committee on Tuesday that the causes of the delay include encroachment on the road, acquisition of land and resettlement of affected persons and the relocation of services such as sewerage and power lines.
“The consultant has commenced the design review to cater for Bus Rapid Transit space and appropriate interchange at Taj Mall/Airport South Road,” Mr Macharia said at a meeting with the committee.
Transport committee chairman Maina Kamanda said that Kura had later admitted the change to the design of the road which would also result to an increase of the cost.
“They were supposed to tell us that the delay is not caused by the relocation of services or clearing of the area and that there is also change of design,” Mr Kamanda said after his conversation with Kura acting director general Peter Mundinia.
The 13-kilometre road stretches from the Ruaraka/Thika Road Junction to Taj Mall in Embakasi.
A redesign would mean that the construction would take longer than planned, inconveniencing motorists who use it regularly.