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Nairobians brace themselves for heavy traffic as roundabouts are removed


If you will be driving to town on Tuesday beware: there are changes on the traffic flow that you will need to adjust to.

Bunyala and Nyayo Stadium roundabouts are no more. To drive towards Mombasa from, say Nyayo Stadium, or get to Bunyala Road from Upper Hill, a motorist will need to drive up to the Haile Selassie Avenue/Uhuru Highway roundabout  to make a U-turn.

Roundabouts
An illustration of how traffic will flow on Uhuru Highway after the removal of Bunyala and Nyayo Stadium roundabouts

 

The Westlands roundabout has also been closed and motorists will only be allowed to make a left turn from Ring Road Westlands before making a U-turn at Consolata Shrine for motorists coming from Westlands intending to go to Kangemi.

For those coming from Raphta Road towards Westlands, they will only make a left turn and head towards Kangemi up to the area near Brookside Groove where they will be allowed to make a U-turn to drive towards Westlands.

There will be no entry to Riverside Drive while driving on Chiromo Road, instead, motorists will access Riverside Drive through the former Westlands round about.

Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero announced the plan to do away with five roundabouts in March.

He said they would be substituted by signalized intersections to improve flow by about 30 to 40 per cent.

LISTED ROUNDABOUTS

The roundabouts were listed as University Way-Uhuru Highway, Kenyatta Avenue-Uhuru Highway, Haile Selassie Avenue-Uhuru Highway, Bunyala and Lusaka.

Motorists over the long Easter holidays already started complaining over the new changes saying they would result in heavy traffic from Tuesday.

@Muhoss said: “Done the test of the new road changes. By look of it, MsaRd will be messy tomorrow (Tuesday).”

Jemo Muriuki added: “Guys of Nrb West, South B, Ind Area brace yourselves for an influx of cars on your routes as people avoid those far turn offs.”

But others are optimistic. @OliverMathenge said the flow of cars was smoother on the adjusted roundabouts, predicting that in like a week, people will stop getting confused.

“But with our “oppose everything” mentality, we may just end up not adapting to the changes on the Nairobi roads,” he added.

Another Twitter user @soloincc said: “I honestly think the changes at Westlands will improve the situation. What am 50-50 about is the intersection at Riverside.”