KeNHA to conduct toll fee test run on Expressway
The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) says it will soon conduct a test run of the electronic toll fee collection for motorists using the Nairobi Expressway.
In a statement on Tuesday, the authority said the operation and monitoring centre that will help manage and maintain the expressway is at 98 percent completion.
“Plans are underway to run a pilot project on the electronic toll collection system. This will enable the implementation team to test the efficiency and security of the system,” it explained.
China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) is building the 27.1km double-decker highway with privately sourced funds to be recovered through toll charges by its subsidiary, Moja Expressway, which will operate the road for nearly 30 years.
Once operational, each driver on the Nairobi Expressway will be required to pay a fee of between Sh100 and Sh1,550, depending on the size of the car and distance travelled, but the charges will fluctuate to cushion the Chinese operator from exchange rate losses.
The authority allowed motorists to start using completed sections of the road in mid-September 2021 to ease traffic on the busy highway.
The JKIA to Mlolongo section along Mombasa Road that was previously closed has been reopened, and more sections will be reopened by the end of October.
Diversions have been built at the Haile Selassie and University of Nairobi (UoN) Roundabouts to pave the way for works in that section.
“Half of the newly built road from Westlands to James Gichuru Road has been opened for public use so as to facilitate completion of works on the other half by the end of October 2021,” the authority added.
KeNHA has partially opened the new pedestrian bridge at General Motors (GM) to the public for use so that the old bridge can be demolished.
The authority further noted that there are still sections along the expressway that traffic will be experienced.
These sections include the GM area where a new footbridge has been installed as the old one is being demolished, Bunyala Roundabout, and University Way Roundabout, where construction is still ongoing.
The Westlands to James Gichuru section will be reopened on October 30, 2021, while the Haile Selassie to UoN Roundabout section will be reopened on December 15, 2021.
“Motorists are urged to continue exercising caution and road courtesy while driving as that has helped to manage traffic better,” Eng. Kungu Ndungu, KeNHA’s Director-General, said.