Traffic jam concerns after Nairobi Expressway closure
Nairobi motorists plying the Mombasa road route could experience heavy traffic in the coming days after the Nairobi Expressway was temporarily closed on Saturday.
In a statement, Moja Expressway, company tasked with managing the road, said the trial period under which motorists were to use the road had officially ended.
“The trial period for the Nairobi Expressway, which commenced on May 14, 2022 has come to an end. The road will now be closed from 9pm this Saturday, June 30, 2022 until it is officially commissioned. The commissioning will mark a monumental achievement which has given Nairobi a new face,” part of the statement read.
“Moja Expressway Company Limited regrets any inconvenience caused and motorists will be advised upon resumption of service on the Expressway,” the statement further read.
Moja Expressway is a subsidiary of China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC). It cost the Kenyan government Sh88 billion to construct the road.
Since May, motorists were given a chance to experience the Expressway and closing it means that motorists will have to experience traffic along the busy Mombasa road.
The busy road serves residents of several estates including South ‘B’, South ‘C’, Imara Daima, Mlolongo, and Kitengela and the Expressway had helped decongest the vehicle traffic.
A number of deadly accidents were witnessed on the four-lane elevated highway with most cases being reported at Mlolongo toll station.
A total of 11,000 vehicles had registered in using the Expressway until the announcement to close it down.
Already, the road has been named one of the best infrastructures in East Africa and it was awarded during the Afrika Mashariki Transport Awards on Friday, July 15.
Retiring President Uhuru Kenyatta is expected to officially commission the road for use before he leaves office in August.